Finally
by Evendale
Summary: What if... Aunt Prudence had not interrupted that fateful moment. Builds on episode 12 of season 2. Warning: absolutely M-rated!
1. Chapter 1

Phryne looked up into his eyes and said, with a touch of sadness in her voice: "Jack Robinson. The man who always does the right thing. The noble thing." He paused and watched her for a moment, then seemed to reach a decision. He moved in closer and softly whispered, "Not always, Miss Fisher".

The next thing she knew, she was in his arms, and his lips were on hers in a tender kiss. She was taken aback for a moment, but quickly decided that she quite liked this new development. With a fierce rush of joy, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Encouraged by her obvious approval, his kisses became more passionate, and he ran one hand down her back, enjoying the feel of the silk robe under his fingers, while his other hand tangled into her hair. After a long moment, they broke apart, breathless, and regarded each other with uncertainty and longing. "Jack", she whispered, looking up at him questioningly. "Phryne…" he responded huskily, "You know I love you. It has taken me a long time to admit, even to myself, but I don't want to deny it anymore. I know you are independent. I know you live dangerously. I know that living with you might mean losing you, too. But I don't care anymore, I don't want you to change. You're an amazing woman, Miss Fisher, and I should be lucky to call you mine. If you'll have me, of course…" he trailed off uncertainly.

She looked up at him with candor and openness, and he saw nothing of the usual teasing in her eyes. "Of course I will", she said simply, and he enfolded her once more into his arms. It was enough.

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_Author's note: WARNING - from the next chapter onwards it's pure smut!  
_


	2. Chapter 2

He managed to maneuver her to the wall and kissed her fiercely, unwilling to waste a single second now that they had both made their feelings plain and could finally give in to the desire that had been building between them for months. He ran his hands feverishly over her body, savoring the pleasure of finally being allowed to touch her, to finally feel the curves he had only dreamt of touching, to taste the soft skin of her throat as he kissed it, and to hear her sigh and feel her shiver at his touch.

As she pushed herself against him, he abandoned his last ounce of restraint and swept her up into his arms. If they were going to do this, he sure as hell was going to do it right. "Well Jack", she smiled teasingly, "how very forceful of you. You certainly know how to sweep a girl off her feet." She wrapped her arms around his neck and nibbled his earlobe as he carried her up the stairs. The stab of excitement that surged through him was so strong, he nearly dropped her to take her right there, in the middle of the stairs, and to hell with propriety or privacy. Instead, he merely growled and kept going, heading straight for her bedroom, where the silk sheets were waiting invitingly.

He put her down softly on the bed and shrugged off his coat and jacket. She sat up and drew him closer to help him undo his tie and the buttons of his waistcoat and shirt. She smiled languorously at the sight of his bare chest, and leaned forward to kiss his stomach, sending another stab of desire through him. "Oh Phryne", he sighed, and kneeled before the bed so they were eye to eye. "I have wanted you for so long." She heard the emotion in his voice, and decided against a cheeky answer. She simply put her hand against his cheek, and smiled at him with so much love that he could hardly bear it. He put his hand over hers and turned his face to kiss her palm, then the inside of her wrist, then the soft underside of her arm. The fabric of her robe impeded further progress upwards, so he decided it should go. With a quick upwards glance for permission, which he readily received, he untied the knot of her silk robe, and tenderly brushed it aside to reveal a white shoulder. He moved up to kiss it, moving slowly, savoring each moment, wanting it to last. As he started kissing her neck, his hands began to roam over her body, and he felt her quiver under his touch.

Phyne was surprised at her reaction to the Inspector's attentions. She had taken many men to her bed, but this was different. This was Jack. And he was touching her, not with superficial lust, but with such longing and tenderness, it made her body respond immediately. Her desire for him washed over her, and her impatient nature took over as she pulled him down onto the bed with her, and kissed him passionately, nimbly undoing his belt in the process. She could feel his excitement begin to build and teased him by softly stroking him through the fabric of his trousers. He responded with a growl and threw her onto her back, kissing her fiercely. He then pushed himself up onto his elbow for a moment to enjoy the sight of her on the bed, eyes half closed, stretched out with her robe falling open and revealing her creamy skin and silk underwear. For a moment he just stared, unable to believe his luck. Then she opened her eyes, smiled saucily at the expression on his face, and a moment later she had wriggled out of her underwear. He gasped at the sight of her nakedness, but she did not allow him much time to ponder.

"Now you are shamefully overdressed, Inspector", she teased, and started working on the button of his trousers. For a moment he was overcome with wonder and joy at her enthusiasm. He had only a vague idea that sex could be pleasurable for women as well as for men; his ex-wife had never seemed to enjoy the activity much, making it clear that she was merely fulfilling her marital duties. He had never taken any other lovers. And now here was Phryne, clearly as eager as he was, her breathing quick and shallow, her pupils dilated with desire. What a wonderful woman she was.

She crowed triumphantly as she managed to undo his trouser button and zipper, and assisted him in removing his last items of clothing. Finally they fell back together, skin on skin, and he nestled himself between her thighs, his eyes not leaving hers. He wanted the moment to last, but she cried out plaintively and wrapped her legs around his waist "Jack, please…". He hesitated for just one more moment before he couldn't resist anymore and sank into her. A moan of pleasure escaped his lips. He was surprised at how wet she was, how willing, the way her hips moved with him at every thrust. He plunged into her, deeply, and was rewarded with a soft cry of pleasure as she rose up to meet him. They easily found a rhythm and soon he was gone from the world, nothing existed anymore, nothing, nothing was real except for her, her body moving in sync with his, her lips parted, her fingernails digging into his back, her legs wrapped around his waist to draw him in, again and again. He cried out her name as he felt the tension build, and fire engulfed him as he reached his peak; he heard her cry out too, and finally felt the joyful release sweep through him.

He collapsed on top of her, even in his dazed state careful not to put too much weight onto her body, but she only drew him closer. They rested together, their limbs tangled, their breathing softly slowing, happy that they were finally able to hold each other, to find the intimacy they had both longed for. He moved off her to lie beside her, and she nuzzled his neck and settled her head in the hollow of his shoulder, sighing contentedly. Through a daze of happiness and satisfaction, Jack vaguely thought again what an amazing woman she was.


	3. Chapter 3

He must have dozed off, because he woke suddenly to the sensation of Phryne kissing his chest. He was immediately alert and tried to sit up in order to take her into his arms and kiss her, but she pushed him back into the pillows with a gentle but decisive hand. "Just lay back for a moment", she smiled promisingly, and he felt a shiver of anticipation run through him as he slumped back into the pillows with a contented sigh. She continued her kisses from his collarbone over his chest and down to his stomach, each kiss leaving a trail of fire on his skin. Jack closed his eyes as he felt his excitement mount again. He was sorely tempted to try and take her into his arms again, but he did not want the kisses to stop, either.

A moment later though, his eyes flew open in shocked surprise as her kisses reached his navel... and she continued her way downward. . He quickly pushed himself up on an elbow and put his hand gently under her chin, tilting her head upwards so he could look into her eyes. He saw nothing but love there, and a knowing look. "It's alright Jack", she said softly, and tried to continue kissing him, but he held his hand firmly under her chin. He knew what she was planning to do, and he knew it was a disreputable thing. He had heard that you could pay certain ladies of the night to perform that particular service, but he had always found the idea of visiting prostitutes distasteful, and had no experience in the matter. "Phryne… that's… it's not right. Not for a lady. It's not… proper."

At that, she sat up and smiled saucily. "And when have you ever known me to do what is proper, Inspector", she quipped, but he did not smile in return. "Come on, Jack. It's only you and me here. Why don't we decide what is proper or not?" She moved closer, and he felt his breath catch at her sudden nearness. Lips tantalizingly close to his, she whispered seductively, encouragingly: "I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy it." A frown still creased his brow, but her closeness was starting to fog his brain. When she reached down and lightly stroked him, he could feel his resistance melting away. "I don't... it's not..." were the last feeble objections he managed to utter, before she closed her hand around him and a wave of pure pleasure extinguished every further thought. He fell back into the pillows with a sigh, closed his eyes, and decided to trust her greater expertise in these matters.

He felt her move down the bed and felt a great surge of excitement mingled with apprehension. A moment later her soft, warm mouth closed around him, and he gasped loudly at the exquisite sensation, her lips closed around him, the warm wetness of her tongue moving slowly, exploring. He felt he would go mad if she kept this up. But there was more to come, and he moaned and reached down and tangled his fingers into her hair as she moved down his shaft and increased suction. "Oh… God", he gasped, how had he never realized just what a woman could do, how had he never known this, how was it possible that she could bring him so much pleasure in such an unconventional way, how could he have thought that this was _wrong_?

She started moving up and down in a slow but steady rhythm and he lost all sense of time as he allowed himself to be swept up in the moment, and felt nothing but the utter pleasure she was giving him, taking in as much of him as she could, and her tongue… oh God, _what_ was she doing with her tongue! He felt his excitement build quickly, too quickly, soon he would not be able to control it anymore. He needed every ounce of will-power he had to reach out to her and indicate with a hand on her cheek that she should stop. She looked up and softly said "I don't mind, Jack." But he was firm this time, this was a line he was not prepared to cross. She gave in and moved up to straddle him, and a new wave of pleasure washed over him as she sank down on him and started moving, his hands on her hips. What a glorious sight, he thought hazily, watching her move above him, her hair tousled and her face lit up in ecstasy. He noticed that her hand was between her legs, stroking in the rhythm of their movements. The sight was too much for him to bear, and he finally allowed himself to let go, sparks erupting in his brain as he gripped her more tightly and felt the orgasm break over him. A moment later, she cried out and shuddered, then fell forward onto his chest. For several long moments, neither of them moved, basking in the warm glow of fulfillment they both felt, enjoying the closeness and warmth of each other's bodies.


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's note: as you may have noticed, I decided to take the morals of the 1920's into account in this story. While Phryne is a very experienced woman, as we all know, most respectable men (and women) at the time had no knowledge whatsoever about sex, other than the basic facts of reproduction. There was no one to tell them about it, and books on the matter were strictly forbidden. Since Jack is a respectable man, who has been married to a respectable woman, I can't imagine that he would know much about sex in general and female sexuality in particular. In fact, his poor wife probably never knew much about female sexuality, either. But I also believe that Jack would be keen to experiment, and that he could certainly evolve throughout the story. I will add new chapters shortly. _

_In the meantime, **reviews** would be **very** much appreciated! I really enjoy sharing my imagination with you, and I would be delighted to hear what you think!_

_Enjoy!_

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When Jack awoke early the next morning, he was immediately aware of her absence. Suddenly wide awake, he looked around the bedroom, which was still half-dark as the heavy curtains had not been drawn yet. He was starting to worry that she had left him there to go about her business as usual, until the sound of splashing water from the adjoining bathroom reassured him. She was just taking a bath. He slumped back into the pillows with a contented sigh, and closed his eyes as last night's events came flooding back to him. How he had finally taken her into his arms, and carried her up the stairs… Undressing her…The way their bodies had tangled on the bed… And then, most vivid of all, the memory of Phryne doing that unspeakable thing to him, and how unspeakably good it had felt. He remembered her straddling him afterwards, the first time a woman had been on top of him, but he didn't mind in the slightest. The view had been excellent.

He saw again her flushed face, her small breasts, her hand between her legs… He wondered idly why she had done that. Then an idea suddenly dawned on him, an idea that was completely novel and completely irresistible. His eyes snapped open and he pushed himself out of bed, overcome with the desire to try it out immediately. He quickly put on his trousers, and headed for the sound of splashing water. He didn't knock on the bathroom door, but pushed it open quietly and stepped inside. A great wave of love flowed through him as he saw her sitting in the bath, so white and so vulnerable, exposing the soft curve of her throat as she leaned her head back against the tub. For a moment he was sorry for disturbing her, but then she opened her eyes and gave him a lazy, happy smile. 'Good morning, Inspector', she purred. 'I hope you slept well?' He smiled back at her. 'Why yes, Miss Fisher, for some reason I slept exceptionally well, though I can't imagine why that would be.' At that, her smile became a little less innocent. 'Maybe I should remind you, then.'

His breath caught as she rose from the bath in one fluent movement, and stood there before him, rivulets of water running down her ivory skin, from her shoulders, between her breasts, over her stomach and the inviting curve of her thighs. She seemed completely unabashed under his gaze, and he felt himself flush at such a brazenness. For a moment he was torn between two of his deepest instincts: she seemed so beautiful and fragile, standing there in the open, a part of him just wanted to rush to her, fold her into his arms and protect her from the world. A second part of him (the part that was currently straining against the material of his trousers) just wanted to rush to her, fold her into his arms and take her right there on the bathroom floor. However, he had other plans, so he suppressed this particular ungentlemanly impulse and picked up a towel from a nearby chair. It was clean and white, and luxuriously soft, and he opened it wide, inviting her in. With a smile, she stepped out of the bath and crossed the bathroom slowly, and the wetness glistening on her skin almost made him change his mind. But when she reached him and allowed him to fold her firmly into the towel and into his arms, he only felt a great and aching tenderness.

Unable to move, she looked up trustingly into his eyes and whispered, with a hint of amusement and anticipation: 'And now what, Jack?' In reply, he picked her up, still enveloped in the towel, and carried her back to the bed, where he put her down carefully and started to unwrap her. She murmured approvingly and rose up to take him into her arms, and for several long moments they sank into a deep, slow kiss. When he felt her hands start to roam towards his trousers, however, Jack broke the kiss and pushed her gently down onto the bed. 'Not so impatient, Miss Fisher,' he rumbled in his deepest voice. 'It's my turn now.' She lay back, her still damp hair fanning out darkly over the satin pillow, and positively squirmed in anticipation. 'I'm all yours, Inspector,' she murmured sweetly.

Now it was his turn to trail kisses down her body and feel her shiver. When he reached her triangle of dark curls, she raised an eyebrow with a surprised but pleased 'oh!', and opened her legs to him. Her smell was sweet and clean, and Jack breathed in deeply as he settled comfortably between her legs. He wasn't really sure how to go about this, but he was nothing if not inventive, and he was sure she would stop him and steer him in the right direction if he did something she didn't like. So he pressed his warm mouth to her, and used his tongue to explore this unknown territory. The way she gasped and tilted her hips to allow him better access immediately told him he was on the right track, and he smiled smugly to himself before continuing his explorations. He let his tongue run over and between her folds, until he found access and pushed in deeper. She moaned hungrily, and he experienced a new, exciting, salty taste on his tongue that eagerly made him return for more. He kept on licking and probing, thoroughly enjoying himself and the effect he was having on her, until her hand on his cheek made him look up.

'Jack,' she whispered, and he saw that her eyes were dark and her face flushed. She put her hand between her legs, parted the folds, and put a slender white finger on a spot that didn't seem particularly interesting to Jack. 'Here,' she whispered, and he obeyed her without thinking. When his tongue reached the indicated spot, she withdrew her hand and tangled it into the sheets instead. He started exploring curiously, and to his surprise discovered a small node that he could easily manipulate with his tongue. As he did so, she suddenly arched her back and started moaning, tangling her other hand into his hair, pulling him even closer. Jack Robinson was not a man who was easily impressed, but he was thoroughly impressed now. How in heaven's name was this possible? How could she have parts he didn't even know about?! Marveling in silence at the wonder of female anatomy, he continued his quest and noticed that her breathing came quicker, and her moans became louder.

Suddenly he felt her trying to pull him upward. 'Jack,' she breathed, 'I want you, now.' But he shook his head and redoubled his efforts, rendering her helpless as she gripped the sheet convulsively. He didn't feel like stopping at all. He was intrigued now, and even though he was sorely tempted to take her, he wanted to see where this was going. He felt instinctively that this could not be all of it, and he felt that this was the time for a thorough investigation. She moaned pleadingly, 'Oh Jack, I need… I want…' He thought he knew what she meant. Never losing contact, he slowly shifted position so he could use his right hand, and, watching her reactions closely, he slid a finger inside. He immediately knew he had done the right thing. She cried out softly and arched her back even further as he explored her with the tip of his finger, marveling at what he discovered, the texture, the warmth and the velvety wetness of her. Without thinking, he slid in a second finger and started moving them in and out, while he increased the pressure with his tongue. Suddenly she cried out, every muscle tensed, and he felt her convulse around his fingers as she quivered and shook, back arched, head thrown back, and he realized suddenly that this was what he had been waiting for. She was having an orgasm, and he had made it happen with just his hands and his tongue. Dear Lord. He felt quite proud.

A moment later, her muscles relaxed, and he carefully withdrew his fingers and moved up to lie beside her, softly stroking her until she seemed to regain a sense of where she was. 'Good God, Jack,' she breathed, looking up at him, pleased. 'You're a fast learner.' He grinned in satisfaction and leaned in to kiss her, delighted that she did not mind her own taste on his lips. By the time he broke away, she seemed to be in control of the situation again, and smiled up at him saucily as her fingers deftly undid his trouser buttons and she started stroking him. He moaned suddenly as he realized how much his own excitement had been building. She helped him out of his pants, pushed herself closer to him and whispered in his ear: 'And now I really can't wait any longer. I want to feel you inside me. Now.' He was confused for a moment. 'Are you ready to go again… so soon?' he asked her, and got a tinkling laugh in response. 'A woman's body works differently from a man's, darling', she answered. Well, he sure as hell found that out tonight, Jack thought, but he was glad there wasn't any need for him to hold back. He was suddenly overcome by his desire for her, and by the thought that, really, anything was possible now, feeling that they were finally on equal footing. He felt his natural confidence return, and she saw his eyes darken as he brusquely took charge and flipped her over so she was lying on her stomach. Leaning over, he growled huskily into her ear: 'Get on your knees.'

She did so without any objections, quite liking his new attitude, and felt a stab of desire as he roughly grabbed her by the hips and pulled her closer. A moment later, they both cried out in pleasure as he sank into her, deeply, and she arched her back and tilted her hips in a way that she knew would increase both their pleasure. He moaned her name and plunged in again and again, his hands on her hips pulling her deeper at every thrust. Though he could hardly think straight, he suddenly realized the advantages of the situation, and slid one hand around her in search of the place she had shown him earlier. He quickly located it and started stroking it in the rhythm of their movements. That was all she needed, and for the second time he heard her cry out, and felt her begin to shake. When she started to convulse around him, the sensation was exquisite, and he could not hold back any longer. With utter abandonment, he thrust in to her once more, and glorious release swept through him as he spent inside her.

Both utterly spent, they fell sideways onto the bed, holding each other close. Slowly their breathing became more regular, and they half dozed off, basking in the afterglow, both utterly content. After a while he roused himself enough to mutter into her ear: 'I'm torn. I would quite like a bath now, but I also want to stay close to you.' She turned to face him, and he saw a twinkle in her eye as she innocently suggested, just like he had expected she would: 'Why Jack, there's no reason the two can't be combined.' A satisfied smile played around the corners of his mouth as he followed her into the bathroom.


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's note: A longer chapter, and a little different, as their relationship evolves. I hope you still like it, and that I've managed to stay true to the characters. _

**_Reviews _**_would be **ever** so much appreciated!_

_Enjoy!_

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After spending slightly more time in the bathtub than was strictly necessary to get clean, they were both just getting dressed when there was a soft knock on the door.

'Miss,' they heard Dot's voice say from the hallway, 'There was a call from the police station. Hugh says he's tried to contact the Inspector, but he can't reach him and he wondered if… if he might be here, by any chance?'

Phryne quickly looked over at Jack, who nodded. They were going to find out anyway.

'Why yes, Dot,' she replied in a cheerful voice, 'as it happens, the Inspector _is_ here.'

'Oh, good,' Dot said. 'Um… good morning, Inspector. Hugh asked if you could call him back, if you had a moment.'

'Of course, Miss Williams, thank you', he mumbled. He quickly put on his last items of clothing and went downstairs. When Phryne followed him a couple of minutes later, he was deep in conversation with Constable Collins. 'Yes,' she heard him say. 'Yes, I'll be right there.' He rang off and sighed regretfully. 'No breakfast for me, I'm afraid. They've found another Woolpacker's body near the warehouses, stabbed in the stomach. I'll have to go and see if we can find whichever Portsider's responsible.'

'Do you want me to come with you?' she asked, but he shook his head. 'This is a gang war,' he answered. 'We already know who's behind this, it's just a question of rounding them up. Not very interesting I'm afraid.' She had to agree with him there. 'Then I'll stay here.' She stepped closer to him. 'Are you coming back tonight?' He smiled as he put his arms around her waist. 'Wild horses couldn't keep me away, Miss Fisher.' With a quick look around to see that they were alone, he stole a kiss and regretfully walked out the door. She smiled and turned to follow the smell of toast and coffee.

When Jack returned that night, it was later than he had expected. As he didn't want to wake the household, he didn't ring the bell, but knocked softly. Almost immediately the door opened to the sight of Phryne, looking lovelier than ever, it seemed to him, already in one of her silk robes. He was suddenly overcome by such a strong feeling of love, it quite took his breath away. He felt an unbearable longing to hold her close, feel her body next to his, and never let her go. When he rushed in to take her into his arms, he saw his own feelings reflected in her eyes, and in the way she threw her arms around him and kissed him fiercely.

'You've been gone a long time,' she whispered breathlessly when they parted.

'Not by choice, believe me,' he mumbled, and leaned in for another kiss. She ran her hands through his hair and down his body, until a slight tinkling sound from one of his coat pockets drew her attention. She put her hand into the pocket in question and looked up with a delightedly wicked smile as she drew out a pair of handcuffs. He must have forgotten to leave them at the station; after all, he had left in a great hurry to get to Phryne as quickly as possible. She, however, seemed to think his motives were less than innocent. She dangled the cuffs from one finger and looked at him saucily from beneath her eyelashes.

'Are you here to arrest me, Inspector?'

He didn't really see where she was going with this, but he was happy to play the game.

'Arrest you on what grounds, Miss Fisher?'

She grinned playfully as she moved closer, and suddenly cupped him through the fabric of his trousers, making him gasp.

'To start with, various indecency charges, I imagine. I also have several pieces of literature around the house that I'm sure would get me into trouble.'

'Well,' he said, removing his hat and coat and following her into the parlor. 'That certainly seems worthy of further investigation, but at the moment I don't see any reason to arrest you… yet.'

'Jack!' she exclaimed, in mock disappointment. 'And here I thought you were finally going to cuff me!'

He was getting little confused now, but tried not to show it. 'Cuff you, Miss Fisher?' he said in a neutral voice.

'Why, yes. For the sake of comfort and privacy, I suggest the head of the bed, but if you have any other ideas in mind, I'd be happy to hear them.'

Suddenly he understood what she meant, and his eyes flew open in shock. He had to sit down for a moment. Carefully, he lowered himself into the love seat, and looked up at her uncertainly. Maybe she was too much for him after all. Sure, he had heard her joke about his handcuffs before, but he had always thought she had spoken in jest. Never for a moment had he imagined what she was now hinting at. He looked at the cuffs still dangling from her finger. The metal edges gleamed cold and hard. They were sharp. He frowned.

Realizing that Jack had apparently not been playing the same game she had, and seemed quite shaken, Phryne immediately became more serious. She gently sat down next to him and said with a soft smile 'It's alright, Jack.' He looked up at her, a crease between his eyebrows. 'Why… why would I want to do that?' Her smile became more sensual as she leaned closer and said in a low, seductive voice. 'Why, for the thrill of it. For the exhilarating sensation of being in control, and having your way with me.' Her hand crept up his thigh as she spoke, and his mouth went dry. He swallowed hard as tempting images suddenly flashed across his mind's eye. He pushed them away. 'But what about you?' he asked, an honest question in his eyes. 'These cuffs are sharp, and your wrists…' He picked up a white hand and kissed the incredibly delicate skin on the inside of her wrist. 'You would hurt yourself.' She replied without hesitation, 'Not if I'm careful.' He still wasn't convinced. 'Phryne… you would be completely defenseless…'. At that she looked up into his eyes with such a trusting, open look that he felt his resistance melt. 'Jack…' she said softly. 'What would I need to defend myself from if I'm with you?'

He hesitated in indecision for a moment, again torn between his baser instincts and his more gentlemanly impulses. Finally he shook his head. 'I spend my life trying to protect people. It just wouldn't feel right.' She immediately sat up and cheerfully dropped the handcuffs to the floor. 'Well, then, there's no reason we can't have fun without them, is there?' she grinned, and the next thing he knew, she had placed herself on his lap, and his arms were full of Phryne. Suddenly, nothing in the world mattered anymore but her, the touch of her lips, her hands in his hair, the feel of silk under his fingers as he ran his hands down her back and hungrily up her thigh.

As he started kissing her neck, his hands went automatically to the knot tying her robe closed, but she stopped his hand. He saw that she was breathing fast, and her chest was flushed. 'Maybe it's time we moved to a more private location, Inspector?' she suggested, and, taking his hand, she led the way to her bedroom. They tumbled onto the bed, laughing as they undid various knots and buttons. Soon their clothes were piled next to the bed. At the sight of her naked body, he again felt a great rush of tenderness for this white and delicate creature lying next to him. He was overcome by a great desire to just explore her body, caress her, to cover every inch of that pale, smooth skin in kisses. But her hands were already moving below his waist in an excellent attempt to distract him. This time, he wouldn't let her. 'Not so impatient, Miss Fisher,' he rumbled, as he pushed her hand away. 'I want to take my time tonight, to look at you, touch you, kiss you. I hardly got a chance last night.'

'Jack!' she complained. 'How can you _bear _to wait even a moment longer?'

He grinned down at her. 'I simply have more self-restraint than… some other people I might mention.' He saw immediately that she had accepted his words as a challenge, though she pretended to surrender. She stretched luxuriously on the bed, inviting his hands to explore, but he saw the wicked gleam in her eyes. The truth was, Jack thought, as he moved closer and started caressing her shoulder, her stomach, the curve of her breasts, that he enjoyed waiting, he enjoyed drawing it out, making it last. He supposed he did have more self-restraint than most people.

But at that moment his self-restraint was sorely tested as her hand slowly snuck up the inside of his thigh. 'Hands off, Miss Fisher', he warned her, as he felt his resistance crumble. But she didn't listen to him (when had she ever?) and softly started stroking him. For a moment every thought was wiped from his mind, then he regained control of himself, took her by the wrist and pinned her down. He noticed she was grinning delightedly, enjoying her game. 'Stop that,' he said in mock annoyance, but the moment he released her, her hands were on him again. This time, he took both her wrists and pinned them to the mattress above her head. Why did she always have to be so impossible? 'I said, stop that.' He tried being firm with her, but failed as he saw the laughter in her eyes and realized he was being played.

'Well, Inspector,' she purred contentedly, nipping at his neck. 'It seems that we have reached an impasse. You know perfectly well that I will not keep my hands to myself. You could, of course, hold me down, but then your hands won't be free for whatever you had in mind…'He looked down at her for a moment, his face unreadable as he made a decision. 'Well played,' he grumbled finally, trying but failing to keep the amusement out of his voice. 'Fine. But no handcuffs. A compromise.' At that, he released her and retrieved his tie from the floor. She smiled a beautiful, delighted smile as she obligingly moved up to the top of the bed, stretching out with her hands close to the ironwork of the headboard, wrists crossed. 'I knew you were the adventurous kind, Jack,' she quipped, and he couldn't suppress a smile as he bent over her and carefully tied her wrists together and to the headboard, making very sure she was still comfortable and not tied too tight.

As he sat back to look at her, he had to admit the sight was utterly arousing. There she lay, so beautiful, and all his. He softly caressed her side, enjoying the fact that, for once, he was completely in control, and that she was, for once, unable to tease him, to rush him. A satisfied smile crept around his lips as he decided that this would be slow… very slow.

He started by kissing her neck – long, deep kisses that left her breathless. His hands stole down to a breast and he cupped it softly, feeling the nipple harden immediately against his palm. He took it between his thumb and forefinger and squeezed softly, making her utter a soft moan. He released her and repeated the action on her other nipple. She closed her eyes and sighed. Ever so slowly, he kissed his way down her neck, over her collarbone, trailing between her breasts. By then she was squirming slightly, longing to feel his warm mouth on her nipples, but he held off, teasing her by drawing slow circles around them, admiring the softness of her breast, and noticing that her nipples were the same soft pink her lips were when she wasn't wearing any lipstick. When she started whimpering slightly, he decided it was enough, and suddenly closed his mouth over one nipple, sucking strongly, while pinching the other one between his fingers. She moaned and arched her back, straining against the tie that prevented her from tangling her hands into her hair and pulling him even closer. As he carefully took a nipple between his teeth, she cried out softly and threw her head back.

He decided it was time to move on. She made a small noise of complaint as he suddenly moved away from her, to the very end of the bed. He gently took one feet in his hands and stroked it, taking care to avoid the most sensitive parts so she wouldn't get ticklish. Slowly, torturously slowly, he started making his way up her leg, stroking, kissing, licking, nipping softly at the soft inside of her thigh. She opened her legs to him, and he kept on kissing until he could smell her sweetness. She held her breath in anticipation, but he suddenly (cruelly, in her opinion), drew back and started kissing the other foot and leg. 'Jack!' she cried out indignantly. 'That's no way to treat a lady!' He looked up at her with a satisfied grin. 'This was your idea,' he said. 'Now you'll have to play by my rules.'

And she had to endure once again the exquisite torture of him moving slowly up her leg, coming ever closer, until she positively squirmed in frustration, unable to speed things up. 'Jack,' she said pleadingly, helpless. 'Ask nicely,' he teased her, and she threw her head back and laughed. 'You beast! All right then… please, Jack, _please_, I can't bear it anymore…' She gasped as his warm mouth suddenly closed over her and he started licking her, probing, exploring, until he found the little node he had discovered so recently and started manipulating it with his tongue. Soon she was gone from the world, moaning and moving her hips rhythmically until… he suddenly stopped, and she cried out in disappointment. 'Jack! Get back there immediately and finish what you started!'

He grinned and moved up to look teasingly into her eyes. 'No, I think I'll just start over again, and there's nothing you can do about…' He was taken completely by surprise as suddenly her hands were loose, and she pushed him forcefully onto his back. The satin sheets were slippery, and he slid off them to land, not very hard, on the sheepskin rug next to the bed. A moment later, her head appeared over the side of the bed to grin down on him. 'You know Jack, for a man who ties his own tie every day, your knot work is surprisingly sloppy.' He looked up at her in amazement for a moment, then burst out laughing. He should never have underestimated her, he should have known, he should have realized that his wonderful lady detective would always have a couple of tricks up her sleeve. The next moment, she was on top of him, sitting astride his stomach, holding down his hands. 'There!' she cried triumphantly, 'There's no escape, Inspector. You're mine now.'

He noticed that she was holding him in an expert grip; apparently she really did have some experience in judo. However, Jack was a former army man and a police officer. He was also a strong man, and he easily overpowered her, flipping her lightly onto her back and pinning her down with the weight of his body. She pretended to struggle, but when he caught both her wrists in one hand and held them over her head again, she relaxed with smile. 'You got me, Inspector. But wouldn't you prefer to move onto the bed again?', she suggested innocently. He realized perfectly well that this was a ploy to get out of her current position, so he looked at her ironically, cocking an eyebrow. 'You can't be trusted on the bed', he stated. She giggled at that. 'And you think I'll behave better on the floor?' He tightened his grip on her wrists. 'At least now there are no knots you can undo', he growled into her ear. He wriggled his hips, and she opened her legs to him so he could lie between her thighs. With his free hand, he moved slowly down her body to stroke her once more between her legs, and she was very quickly lost in the moment, closing her eyes and moaning softly, trying to move beneath him, but he kept her firmly pinned down. The resistance only seemed to arouse her more, and soon she was crying out for him.

He couldn't resist anymore; still keeping her wrists together above her head with one hand, he used the other to guide himself to her opening, moaning as he felt how wet she was. He thrust inside her, hard, deep, and she arched up her hips to meet him. He let go of all restraint as he took her, again and again, and everything was Phryne, her taste in his mouth, her skin on his skin, her legs around his waist, his fingers tangled into her hair. She had been very close already, and soon he felt her start to tremble, then cry out. As she contracted around him, the increased sensation was too much for him to bear, and he, too, cried out and let go. Sparks erupted behind his eyes as a wave of exquisite fire swept through his body and left him, gasping, lying on top of her. As the sensation receded and he came to his senses again, he noticed that he was no longer holding her wrists, but that, sometime during their lovemaking, he had entwined his fingers with hers. He knew she had noticed too when she squeezed his hand, in a gesture of such love and intimacy, it made him shift position and take her into his arms, holding her close.

She settled her head contentedly on his shoulder and he could almost feel her happiness radiating through his skin. 'You wonderful man, Jack Robinson', she murmured sleepily, before drifting off to lightly doze on his chest, her fingers still entwined with his. While he felt exhausted, Jack couldn't sleep, not yet. He lay awake, listening to her breathing, feeling the tickle of soft black hair on his chest, and marveling, at her, and at how she was able to make him feel. Contrary to what he had expected, he felt that they had just shared a wonderful experience together, as partners, both enjoying it enormously. He had never imagined that sex could be so playful, so joyful, so passionate and thrilling. As he wrapped her even closer into his arms and kissed her head with endless tenderness, he couldn't help but wonder what other surprises this wonderful woman had in store for him…


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's note: A bit of story around the smut this time, I just couldn't resist._

_A big thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far! Reviews bring me so much joy and inspire me to write on. _

_Enjoy!_

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'No.'  
'Come on, Jack. Please?'  
He held firm. 'No.'  
'It'll be fun!'  
'I highly doubt that.'  
'Just once. For me?'  
'I wouldn't feel comfortable.'  
'It's really rather enjoyable once you get used to it.'  
'I don't think so.'

She looked at him reproachfully. 'It's just a dinner party at Aunt Prudence's. It's not like I'm asking you to go to the North Pole with me.'  
'I think I'd quite prefer the North Pole.'  
'Honestly Jack, it's not that bad.'  
They were lying in bed together, Phryne's head resting on Jack's chest. She was gently stroking his arm while attempting to persuade him to accompany her to her aunt's party that evening. So far, she had had very little success. He turned sideways to face her.  
'Look, I don't know anyone there, I would feel completely out of place, and it sounds terrifically boring. Give me one good reason why I should go.'  
She sighed theatrically. 'You're absolutely right, Jack. I'll just have to spend the night talking to whichever eligible bachelor Aunt P. decides to seat me next to…'

'Jack?'  
' I'll pick you up at seven.'

Jack had no reason to regret his decision when he came to call on Phryne that evening. He rang the doorbell, formally dressed in a black suit and tie, and was invited into the hall by Mr. Butler. 'Miss Fisher will be with you in a minute, Inspector,' the butler informed him before retreating back to the kitchen. A moment later, Jack turned at the sound of rustling at the top of the stairs, and he felt his breath catch in his throat.  
She was looking absolutely stunning in a resplendent evening gown of green and silver, which sparkled faintly in the light of the hall. The many-layered skirt rustled as she descended the stairs, and emeralds set in silver sparkled at her throat and dangled from her ears. She beamed as she stepped off the stairs in front of him and twirled.  
'Do you like it?' she asked gaily.  
'I… um… it's… you look…'  
She flashed him a saucy smile. 'I know.'  
He could only stare, and vaguely think that he couldn't for the life of him understand why this society belle would want to be seen with him. A moment later, though, she had put her arm through his, and all worries left him as he suddenly felt that the world was exactly right.  
'Ready, Inspector?' she queried, looking up at him.  
He had finally found his voice again. 'Ready as I'll ever be, Miss Fisher.'  
Arm in arm, they swept out the door towards the waiting car.

An hour later, Detective Inspector Jack Robinson was feeling distinctly uncomfortable. After having been greeted by many raised eyebrows, and a very cold look from Aunt Prudence, he had been seated opposite Phryne instead of next to her, which had left him without moral support and with the obligation to converse with the two excessively boring old gentlemen seated next to him. Every once in a while, he shot a desperate look at Phryne across the table. She was not far away, exactly, the table was not very wide, but she was half hidden from view by the many dishes, flowers and candles. Moreover, she seemed to be deep in conversation with the young woman sitting next to her. He was starting to feel a little neglected.

Suddenly, however, he stiffened. Had he imagined it, or had he really felt something brush his leg? He looked across the table, where Phryne still seemed completely absorbed in her conversation. But Jack observed that she seemed to have shifted slightly in her seat, and he thought he detected a hint of a smile at the corner of her lips. A moment later, he felt it again, more distinctly this time, and he realized that she must have slipped out of her shoe to tease him with a stockinged foot. Suppressing a smile, he extended his own legs under the table to allow her better access. A shiver ran down his spine as her foot brushed his ankle and then, slowly, sensuously, moved up the inside of his calf. He suddenly had trouble concentrating on the conversation around him as she followed the same path downward and started upward on the other leg.

When her toes had almost reached his knee, he suddenly caught her foot in one hand and held it firmly. Across the table, he saw her eyes widen in surprise, but she otherwise kept her composure. She kept on chatting merrily to her companion, and only Jack was able to detect the small changes in her face and body when he slowly started to stroke her foot. When he reached her sensitive instep, he couldn't resist, and tickled it softly. He was immediately rewarded when he saw her whole body twitch, and she jerked her foot back out of his reach. With a smile, Jack returned to his dinner.

A seemingly interminable half hour later, the table had been cleared, and guests were beginning to leave the table to dance. When the young woman next to Phryne was swept away by a dashing young man, Jack saw his chance. He excused himself to the gentlemen next to him, quickly got up and hurried around the table to drop into the recently vacated chair. He was greeted by a bright smile and a teasing 'Are you here to ask me to dance, Inspector?'  
He looked at her grumpily. He felt he had suffered quite enough already for her this evening, and his look plainly told her so. She replied quite cheerfully: 'Just as well. I can't really maneuver in this dress, anyway.'  
Soon, however, Jack felt his bad temper disappear in Phryne's sparkling presence. They talked and laughed, and Jack noticed that she was constantly smiling and touching him on the arm. It took him a while to realize, but it suddenly dawned on him that she was behaving exactly like a woman in love. The realization came as a complete surprise; he had been so absorbed in his own happiness at being near her, that he hadn't stopped to think for a moment that she might be just as happy to be close to him.

A moment later, his attention shifted sharply as she had casually dropped her hand to his knee. She suddenly seemed to notice the person sitting on his other side, and greeted them with great enthusiasm, using the pretext to lean very close to Jack and slide her hand slightly up his thigh. He suddenly started to feel very hot around the collar, and quickly looked down to check that the table cloth was long enough. It was. Seemingly oblivious, Phryne kept on talking animatedly to the middle-aged woman sitting next to Jack, leaning ever closer to him and sneaking her hand ever higher up his thigh. He tried to look natural, doubting about whether or not to push her hand away, but he thought that would only draw attention.

Suddenly she turned her attention back to him. She brightly said 'I'll be in the powder room for a moment' in a completely innocent voice, but she looked at him meaningfully and her hand squeezed his leg for just a second before she stood up graciously and went up the stairs. He stayed put for a few seconds, taking deep, calming breaths. Did she mean…? He wasn't sure, but decided to risk it. The moment he had regained his composure, he got up and followed her.

When he arrived upstairs, he didn't spot her at once and thought for a moment that she really had gone to the powder room. An instant later though, a bedroom door to his right opened a fraction and she laughingly grabbed his arm and pulled him into the room, quickly shutting the door behind them. The moment the door was closed, she wrapped herself around him, kissing him fiercely. 'I couldn't keep my hands off you for a moment longer', she sighed. He snorted. 'As if you were keeping them to yourself before.' She gave him a saucy look. 'Well, a girl must amuse herself _somehow_ on occasions like these.' And she promptly proceeded to undo his tie. He tried to stop her, vaguely alarmed. 'What… really… here?' But she started kissing his neck, and it suddenly became much harder to think clearly. 'Come on, Jack. Everyone's dancing, nobody will notice if we're gone for a moment. And besides,' she added with a twinkle, 'I thought you said you were bored. We can't have that, Inspector.'

Her nearness was becoming too much for him to bear, and he didn't need much more persuading. He tried to lead her to the bed, but she resisted. 'Not in this dress, darling', she laughed. 'It'll crease so badly, it won't be hard for people to deduce what we've been up to!'  
He was confused for a moment. 'Well then… how do you propose we proceed, Miss Fisher?'  
'Why, there's a perfectly good wall over here,' she said, leaning back against it and pulling him close. Immediately, distasteful images flashed across Jack's mind, things he had seen during his work as a policeman, of bedraggled prostitutes being pressed up against the walls of dark alleyways by drunken punters. He had always assumed that the proper place for actually making love was the bed. In the case of Phryne Fisher, he could live with an occasional romp on the floor. But up against the wall… That felt… cheap.

She noticed his hesitation. 'What's the matter?' she asked gently.  
'Well…' he said. 'It's just that… taking you against a wall feels a little… well… it's not very classy.'  
At that, she raised an ironic eyebrow. 'Jack, look at me.'  
He did, and a moment later realized how ridiculous his words were. It was hard to imagine anything more classy than Phryne Fisher, in a beautiful evening gown, covered in jewels, leaning casually against a wall. 'Once again, Inspector, you set too much store by what is proper.' She smiled, and he relented, allowing her to draw him closer by his tie. A moment later, his mouth was on hers, one hand in her hair, one on the small of her back. She started to pull up her skirt, but he stopped her hand. The many layers had been playing with his imagination the entire evening. 'Allow me', he whispered as he kneeled in front of her.

She giggled as he started lifting the layers of her dress, one by one, until he finally caught a glimpse of white ankle. He lifted the last layer of fabric high, and ducked underneath it. She squealed softly in surprise, but didn't move, other than to brace herself more firmly against the wall. He remained quite still for a moment in the absolute darkness, breathing in her smell, feeling her warmth. Then, he started exploring, found a knee, a thigh, moved upwards to let his hands slide over her hips and held them there, steadying her. The next moment, his mouth had found the inside of her thigh, and he moved upwards until his lips encountered the silk edge of her underwear. He did not attempt to remove it, but kept moving upward and inward, until he could press his mouth to her. He heard her gasp, felt her sway slightly, and firmly held her steady with his hands on her hips. He started exploring her through the fabric, carefully sensing and probing to find his bearings. When he suddenly found the right spot, he immediately knew by her reaction, and by the way her knees suddenly went weak.

'Jack,' he heard her say, voice muffled through the many layers of cloth. 'I can't do this standing up like this. I don't have anything to hold on to, I'm afraid I'll just collapse on top of you.'  
'That's okay,' he mumbled, absorbed in what he was doing, 'you're not that heavy.'  
She giggled. 'But the dress, Jack.'  
He sighed, silently cursing the dress. 'Can't we take it off?'  
'Well, it took Dot nearly half an hour to get me into it properly, and I really don't think we have that kind of time.' He heard the smile in her voice, and regretfully got out from under the skirt. The cold air and the bright lights were unpleasant after the warm, sweet-smelling darkness, but she soon made him forget by pulling him upwards and kissing him so passionately he suddenly realized how much he wanted her.

The burning desire he felt for her was never very far from the surface, and now it overtook him with such force, he had to take care not to tear her dress in his sudden longing to feel her skin. She undid the buttons of his trousers, then started to pull up the skirt of her dress, very careful to fold it where the pleats naturally fell, so it wouldn't crease in noticeable places. As he pushed her hard against the wall, she wrapped one bare leg around his hip, and used one hand to guide him in. When he entered her, she cried out softly, and he immediately clapped one hand in front of her mouth.  
He looked straight into her eyes as he slowly started moving inside her, and huskily whispered: 'Quiet, Miss Fisher. We wouldn't want to get caught.' She softly bit his fingers, but he just laughed and did not withdraw his hand.

Her breathing became quicker as she moved her hips against him, pulling him in deeper with her leg hooked around his hip, one hand on his shoulder to keep her balance. He kept his hand firmly on her mouth, smothering her moans as he took her other hand and held it against the wall over her head. He pushed in again and again, and felt the tension build inside him. He fought to control it, the new position was just too arousing, both to his mind and his body. With an effort, he held off stroke after stroke, until he saw her eyes close, and he felt her tense beneath him, then start to tremble. Finally giving in, he allowed his own orgasm to break, biting his lip to keep in all sound as he felt the rush of fire through his body, and spent himself inside her with a last few thrusts. Weak-kneed, he leaned against her, as much to support her as to keep himself from falling. They held each other close, breathing hard, as they slowly recovered. Jack pressed his face to her hair and breathed in deeply. They rested for a moment more, until they were both able to stand again. Then she carefully rearranged her dress as he buttoned up his trousers and straightened his tie. After one last kiss, she slipped out of the room first, and he waited a moment to give her a head start, leaning against the door with a contented sigh.

The rest of the party passed in a happy blur of champagne and Phryne. She was constantly at his side, and he discovered that absolutely everything was delightful as long as her hand was on his arm, and he could see her smile. It seemed like only a moment later they were back in the car, Jack driving as Phryne lazily leaned back in her seat. She had had rather a lot of champagne and seemed utterly relaxed. After a while, she leaned sideways and rested her head upon his shoulder. She put one hand on his knee, and for once, the gesture was completely innocent, an expression of affection and intimacy. As they silently drove along, Jack felt a deep and inexpressible sense of happiness steal over him, and a feeling of belonging that was so strong, he knew it to be true. This was exactly how it should be.

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_Author's note: If you liked the chapter, please review! It means a lot to me to hear your opinion. Eternal gratefulness will be yours :)_


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's note: I really enjoyed writing this. I hope you enjoy reading it!_

_If you do, please review! :)_

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For the last three hours, he had been trying to get out of the bed. The fact that he hadn't succeeded in doing so, was of course entirely due to Miss Fisher. Every time he had mentioned 'getting up', she had found new ways of keeping him right where he was. A hand here, a kiss placed in exactly the right spot, and before he knew it, thoughts of leaving the bed seemed perfectly absurd when compared to the delights waiting for him between the sheets. Time and again, their bodies entwined on the bed, and afterwards he drifted into that delicious state between sleeping and waking that came with being utterly satisfied. And every time when he had recovered enough to start thinking about getting dressed and going for breakfast, she would just start the whole thing over again.

He was certainly not complaining, but by noon he was determined that this time, he would manage his escape. He would gladly spend the entire day in bed with her (it wouldn't be the first one, either), but he had something very particular in mind that he really wanted to get done today. The problem was, that he didn't want tell Phryne what it was, which made it much harder to give her a reason for wanting to leave. He looked at her, dozing on the pillow next to him. Very quietly, he started to move out from under the sheets.

'Where are you going?' she murmured sleepily.

'It's nearly noon. Don't you think we should get up?'

She nestled herself more snugly between the sheets. 'What ridiculous notions you have sometimes, Inspector.'

He smiled. 'I really need to go home today, Miss Fisher. I must get some clean clothes.'

She opened one eye to look at him naughtily. 'If you just stay in bed, you don't need clothes at all.'

'An excellent point. But I'll need to leave the bed at _some _point, and when that time comes, I need clean clothes.'

She yawned and stretched luxuriously, revealing white skin in places that made him seriously reconsider his decision. However, he had his reasons to go. He needed to be strong now.

'Well, Inspector, your reasoning is perfectly sound, as ever. I will see you tomorrow.'

She smiled as he kissed her hair, and when he got up and started dressing, she settled herself comfortably in the warm nest they had made and seemed ready for a good nap. With a sigh of regret, he closed the bedroom door behind him and descended the stairs.

He accepted a cup of tea from Mr. Butler, and wandered into the sitting room, appearing to look vaguely at the books in the book case while drinking his tea, but in reality he was looking for something very specific. Soon, he found it. It was a big black book, fairly inconspicuous, tucked away into a corner of the book case. He furtively looked around, then quickly slipped it under his coat. He thanked Mr. Butler for the tea, handed him the empty cup, and left the house at a brisk pace.

It took him only a short time to drive home, which was a small bungalow that he had bought after Rosie had left him. He didn't need much space, as he didn't spend much time at home in any case, but the place was nice enough, with a fireplace and a comfortable chair in which he could read Shakespeare. He really didn't need much more than that.

When he entered, he was greeted by his housekeeper, a middle-aged woman who came around in the afternoons to clean, do laundry, and prepare some meals for him. Luckily, she was a sensible woman who wasn't the least bit nosy and didn't care at all about him keeping odd hours. She was competent and efficient, and left him to his business, exactly the way he liked it. 'Good afternoon, Mrs. Thompson,' he greeted her. 'I'll be in my study.'

'Good afternoon, Mr. Robinson,' she replied. 'I was just going out to run some errands. Do you require anything specific?'

'Not today, Mrs. Thompson, thank you.' He retreated to his study, seated himself behind his desk, and waited until he heard the front door close. Then, he took out the black book and placed it in front of him on the desk. The title said 'Erotica of the Far East', underneath a highly colored picture of a man and a woman in an very indecent position. Really, he thought, shaking his head, this was highly compromising material. He could only imagine how she had smuggled it into the country.

But now that it _was_ here, the Inspector was fully prepared to take advantage of the fact. He was aware by now that there was much more to the art of the bedroom than he had ever suspected: Phryne had taught him much and he had discovered other things himself, but he felt that by now it was time for a more thorough investigation. For once, he wanted to surprise _her_, and not the other way around. He felt that it was high time he took on a more assertive role in their lovemaking. Even if it meant having to get his information from… questionable sources.

He looked at the book with a slight frown. He was not the kind of person who would naturally seek out this kind of thing. Apprehensively, he lifted the cover and flipped through the pages. There were lots of illustrations, accompanied by highly detailed instructions. He opened the book at a random page, and his frown disappeared as he lifted an eyebrow. That looked… interesting. Though he wasn't sure how practical it would be if they were to actually try it out. It seemed like it would be… difficult to maintain balance.

He turned a page and the frown returned. Now that just looked plain uncomfortable. Another page… they'd done that already. Another page, and he winced. That just _had _to be painful. He didn't think she could bend that far, and he knew _he _definitely couldn't. Another page, another frown. He couldn't even distinguish which limbs belonged to whom and he was not about to try and figure it out. He sighed impatiently, and decided that maybe he should start at the beginning of the book.

He turned to the first few pages, and for the first time, the book got his full attention. Hmm. He had never really thought to try things _that_ way. And _this_ seemed highly enjoyable. He flipped through the next few pages and found several more pictures that appealed to him. He kept on studying the book late into the night, deciding on favorites and reading and rereading instructions to memorize them. Finally, he went to bed with the sense that he had a much better grasp of things now, and the satisfying knowledge that she would not expect what he had planned. He couldn't wait to see her tomorrow and try out a couple of things.

Tomorrow, however, arrived sooner than anticipated in the form of a telephone call from the station. The familiar voice of Constable Collins informed him that there had been a murder, and gave him directions to the crime scene. When the Inspector arrived there half an hour later, it was to see an only too familiar red car parked at the scene. Of course, he thought, he should have known. Still, this was the first case they would work on together after they had started their affair, and he only hoped that Miss Fisher would behave professionally.

He needn't have worried. When he got out of the car, she greeted him with perfect cheerfulness and immediately started filling him in on the case (a young man found dead in an abandoned alley with a single gunshot to the chest), and as always she did not hesitate to give him the benefit of her own opinion. To his surprise, however, Jack quickly discovered that he himself had great difficulties to behave professionally around her now. When she kneeled close to him to examine the body, he caught a whiff of her perfume, and for a couple of moments lost track of what she was saying as his thoughts turned entirely to how much he wanted to kiss the exposed white skin of her throat. With a mental effort, he focused his attention on the body in front of him, but throughout the day he discovered that he had very little control over his thoughts anymore.

He had thought that things would be better now that they were sleeping together, that some of the tension between them would have diffused, and that he would be less distracted if she hopped up onto his desk, or stood entirely too close to him for comfort, but the opposite was true. While they went about their day as usual, visiting relevant locations, interrogating suspects, talking over clues, he realized that, especially after his reading of last night, the only thing he could think about was how much he wanted to pull her close and ravish her in every possible way. The fact that she was so close and he couldn't touch her was pure torture.

So when they finally left the station very late and went home, his patience was worn very thin. Phryne opened the front door quietly, as the household was already sleeping, and started to hang up her hat and coat. 'Would you like a nightcap and talk things over, or do you want to go straight to…' she started asking, but he didn't let her finish. She squealed softly in surprise as he suddenly lifted her and threw her over his shoulder, heading for the stairs. 'Well! Straight to bed it is then!' she laughed. 'You know, you had only to _ask_, Inspector.' But he didn't reply, just smiled in silent satisfaction as he carried her up the stairs.

Even in his newfound assertiveness, he couldn't really bring himself to throw her down on the bed, so he put her down gently and straightened to take off his jacket. When he saw that she was starting to unbutton her blouse, he leaned close, stopped her hand and looked into her eyes. 'Don't. I want to undress you.' She looked at him curiously, but dropped her hands and leaned back invitingly. 'Well, be my guest, Inspector. As long as you don't take too long about it.' He noticed that she was watching him with a hungry look, and smiled inwardly. He sat down next to her on the bed, and carefully unbuttoned her blouse, relieved that he was finally allowed to touch her, after wanting to all day. He couldn't resist to kiss a white shoulder, and brush a nipple through her camisole to hear her gasp.

He pushed her down onto the bed so he could remove her trousers and her stockings, but he really couldn't hope for her to stay this compliant the entire time. She sat up and took him by his tie. 'And now I get to undress _you_, I hope. It's only fair.' He relented. 'Whatever you like, Miss Fisher.' She looked up at him from under her eyelashes. 'I like a great many things, Inspector.' He smiled as she undid his tie and allowed her to undress him, before taking the lead again. He pushed her back into the pillows to kiss her, a long, slow kiss that was full of promises. A moment later, he had maneuvered her out of her underwear, and she was lying before him naked. He couldn't resist running his hands over her body for a moment and feel her shiver, before turning his attention to what he had planned.

'Lift your hips', he ordered her in a soft whisper. She looked at him questioningly, but obeyed without a word. He pulled down a pillow and placed it under her lower back, so that her hips were tilted. She raised an eyebrow, seeming pleasantly surprised. He felt quietly elated as he kneeled between her legs and ran his tongue up the inside of her thigh. She fell back into the pillows with a sigh and surrendered to him. When he pressed his mouth to her, she moaned, and he noticed that she was already wet. He slid his tongue inside for a moment to taste her, then moved upwards to work on the little hidden node that seemed to give her so much pleasure, until her breathing became quicker. Now was the moment. Trying to remember the exact instructions of the book, he slid two fingers inside her, palm up, and felt around for a moment, searching, until he found a soft spot, just like the book described. Faintly apprehensive about the results, he pushed upwards.

She immediately gasped loudly and tangled one hand into his hair, the other in the sheets. 'God, Jack', she gasped, and he smiled in satisfaction and started to rhythmically push upwards, in the meantime not removing his tongue from where it had been before. She arched her back and moaned; he felt her muscles tense, and as he increased the rhythm, her breathing became very fast and erratic, she tilted her hips even further to increase the pressure of his fingers, and threw her head back. He pushed harder, and suddenly she was crying out, her hand tightened on the sheets, and her whole body bent double as she half rose out of the pillows, every muscle tensed. The orgasm lasted for several long moments, then she fell back into the pillows, breathing heavily. He instinctively started to slow down, then remembered the book and pushed up hard again. 'Oh, Jack!' she cried out, surprised at how readily her body reacted to his touch, and she reached up to hold on to the headboard as he again started exploring her with his tongue, gentler now. Soon she was trembling again as he kept up a steady pressure both with his fingers and his tongue. Only a few moments later, she gasped, almost sobbing, as a second orgasm overtook her and she convulsed beneath him, contracting around his fingers. Finally, he slowed down and she gradually relaxed onto the bed, quivering slightly. He withdrew his fingers and looked up. She seemed out of breath and more than a little dazed, and he moved up to take her into his arms, feeling extremely pleased with himself.

As her breathing quieted, he saw that she was slowly returning to her senses and watched her closely to gauge when she would be ready for his next move. When she looked up at him and asked 'Jack, where on earth did you…' he judged that she was quite recovered enough, and closed her mouth with a kiss. 'No time for questions', he breathed. 'I'm not nearly done with you.' She smiled a delighted smile at that and bit her lip in anticipation as he rolled on top of her, feeling his own excitement rise sharply. She let out a surprised 'oh!' as he moved down and suddenly lifted her right leg so her ankle rested against his shoulder. Lucky she's so flexible, he thought, as he moved upward and encountered very little resistance. He preferred to think that was from judo practice. Or dancing.

She was so wet that he slid inside her effortlessly, and he couldn't quite suppress a moan that was echoed by her as he pushed in deep. She was tight this way, and he enjoyed the added friction as he thrust in again and again. It didn't take long until he felt he wouldn't be able to resist much longer. At that point, he stopped, ignoring her sounds of disappointment, and took a few deep breaths as he lay down beside her, their bodies touching full length. 'Jack, what are you…?' she started to ask, but he didn't let her finish. 'Roll onto your side', he ordered her softly, and she turned to face him. He smiled amusedly. 'The _other_ side, please.' She flashed him another look of surprise that turned into a look of sensual pleasure as she turned and nestled her back into his warmth. He folded her closely into his arms and put one leg between hers for easier access, then entered her with a soft moan. She pressed her buttocks backwards into him and sighed in delight as he started moving with slow and deliberate strokes, enjoying the closeness of their bodies. With one hand, he started moving over her body, caressing a breast, pinching a nipple, stroking the inside of her thigh, before settling between her legs. Very gently, he started stroking as he moved inside her, and she pressed herself even closer to him. He softly whispered into her ear, how lovely she was, how beautiful, how much he adored her, until he felt the tension within him rise to a point that made it impossible to speak. When she began to quiver, he buried his face into her hair and held her tight as he felt a wave of pleasure wash over him, and they cried out together. He felt her clench around him, pushing him to an even higher pitch as he thrust in again, until he spent inside her. They both shivered and lay still, wrapped in each other's warmth.

They didn't move for what seemed like a long time, and maybe they slept a little. When Jack returned to his senses, it was to find Phryne facing him with a smile. She kissed him softly, then drew back with a shrewd look in her eye. Uh oh.  
'All right, Jack. Out with it. What have you been reading?'  
He tried to feign ignorance. 'Reading, Miss Fisher? What on earth do you mean?'  
He nuzzled her neck, but she was not so easily distracted, and pushed him away with an amused smile. 'Well, it's either that or you had a very steamy affair last night that taught you a trick or two', she joked.  
He suppressed a laugh and tried to look wounded. 'Perhaps I'm just naturally talented, Miss Fisher.'  
She raised an eyebrow. 'I'm not saying you're _not_, but you don't just figure these things out overnight.' She gave him a calculating look. 'Erotica of the Far East?' she guessed, and he suddenly blushed fiercely, proving her right. She gave a delighted laugh, and cuddled close to him.  
'Well, Inspector, I must say I approve of a man trying to improve himself through study.'  
He kissed her hair. 'I thought you might, Miss Fisher.'  
'And you certainly managed to surprise me tonight.'  
He smiled a satisfied smile and held her close, seriously considering never letting her go again.


	8. Chapter 8

It had been a long day. Detective Inspector Jack Robinson sighed in relief as he pulled up his car in front of the house of Phryne Fisher. He didn't get out immediately, but leaned back for a moment and rubbed his eyes. A long, hard day, with lots of paperwork, a drunk and disorderly, and a frustrating dead end in the case he'd been working on. In fact, he'd been working hard for the past few days, and he was tired. He was looking forward to seeing Phryne, as they had spent the last couple of days apart, but he hoped she wouldn't be too… exuberant. He didn't think he was up to that right now. Nevertheless, the thought of taking her into his arms was irresistible.

He got out of the car and walked through the darkness to the front door. When he knocked softly, the door was opened by Phryne, looking beautiful as ever in her black embroidered silk robe. 'Jack,' she said softly, as she reached for him with a sweet, longing smile. They embraced tenderly, and Jack appreciated the fact that Phryne seemed to realize how tired he was and didn't seem to have any immediate plans of ravishing him right there on the hallway floor. He kissed her softly and held her close, whispering in her ear: 'I've missed you.' She put her arms around him and smiled up at him. 'I've missed you too. You've been working too hard.' He could only agree with that. 'Poor Jack,' she said. 'But I've got something that might make you feel better.'

'Whiskey?' he suggested hopefully, and she grinned in delight. 'You read my mind, Inspector.'  
They went into the sitting room together, and he saw that she had already poured him a glass. He sighed gratefully as he dropped into the love seat and she handed him the whiskey, then nestled herself close to him. 'Now,' she said. 'Tell me all about this case that's been giving you such a headache.' He started talking, gradually feeling like a load was lifted from his shoulders as he told her all about the worries of the past few days. She listened quietly until he was finished, then offered a few suggestions that threw the case in a completely new perspective. That, combined with the effect of the excellent whiskey, suddenly made him feel much lighter and happier. She felt him relax next to her, stood up with a smile, and held out her hand to him. 'Now that you're feeling better, I have a surprise for you.'

He was immediately wary. You never knew _what _she might have planned. But the whiskey helped in overcoming his apprehensions, and he suddenly realized that he didn't care; as long as he could stay close to her, everything was fine with him. He took her hand and let her lead him up the stairs to the bedroom. He allowed himself one last thought to hope that it wouldn't be anything _too _exotic, before she opened the bedroom door. The room was softly lit with dozens of candles. The bed was full of soft cushions and fresh satin sheets, and two glasses of champagne stood on the bedside table. Soft jazz was playing on the gramophone. Jack relaxed with a smile. 'You've been working so hard, I felt you deserved a treat.' She said with a twinkle in her eyes as she handed him a glass of champagne. It was excellent, probably French, he thought.

Without a word, she started to undress him; not in her usual, eager way, but unhurriedly, kissing every part of him that she uncovered. 'Go lie down on the bed,' she whispered when she had finished. He did as he was told, enjoying the unhurried pace and the way his thoughts had clouded pleasantly due to the champagne and Phryne's closeness. She kneeled next to him on the bed. 'No, turn around, you should be face down.' He frowned for a moment, not seeing what could possibly be accomplished if he was lying on his stomach. But he decided to trust her, and rolled over. He heard her take something from the bedside table, and then felt her straddle his back. A moment later, she poured out a couple of drops of warm oil, and started massaging his shoulders.

His first reaction was surprise. He hadn't really expected this from Phryne, hadn't expected her to be so… caring. And willing to wait, and put his own needs before hers. Secondly, he was not the kind of person who was given to relaxing completely. He liked to be in control of the situation, and he was usually worried or tense about something, so surrendering and letting go of all worries was not something he was used to. But as Phryne's soft hands moved expertly over his taut muscles, he gradually felt the tension drain from him, and he let out a sigh of pleasure as he closed his eyes and surrendered to her. The oil had a warming effect on his skin, and he thoroughly enjoyed the sensation of her hands on his body. He didn't think he had ever been touched like this, her soft fingers lovingly caressing every inch of his skin until he felt warm and happy. She moved down to ease the tension out of the muscles of his back. He was starting to feel a little sleepy as she slowly moved further down.

Phryne felt her Inspector gradually relax. She had, of course, experience in the matter and knew exactly what she was doing, expertly loosening the knots where the muscles had tensed. Poor Jack, she mused, he really worries too much. He should take more time to relax. But as she looked at his muscled back and shoulders, she felt her body react to his presence, and her thoughts turned to different matters. After all, she hadn't seen him in days. She felt that she had shown great self-restraint for the last half hour… there was only so much a girl could resist. And she leaned over and bit his buttock.

'Hey!' he exclaimed indignantly, suddenly wide awake again as he pushed himself up on an elbow to give her a berating look. 'You don't even _try_ to control yourself, do you?'  
She gave him a teasing look, without a trace of contrition. 'Why ever would I want to do that, if the alternative is _so _much more pleasant?' She made as if to bite him again, but he caught her and they tumbled laughingly on the bed until he was on top of her.  
'There,' he said. 'No more biting!' At that moment, he noticed that she was still wearing her robe. 'Why Miss Fisher, I can't believe you're still dressed! How ever did you manage that?' he teased. She gave him a naughty look. 'I'm not quite as dressed as you might think, Inspector.'  
Curious, he undid the knot of her robe and let it fall open. She wasn't wearing her usual underwear underneath… in fact, she wasn't wearing anything. He swallowed. If he'd known _that_… all the time they were talking in the sitting room, and she was right there beside him, wearing _nothing _underneath that thin robe… They probably would have ended up in the bed much sooner.

With such easy access… He surprised her by immediately taking a nipple in his mouth, and she gasped when he took it between his teeth.  
'Jack! I thought you said no biting!'  
'No biting for _you_, that is,' he replied, softly nipping at her neck. 'Are you complaining, Miss Fisher?' he teased, drawing back.  
'Only that you're a dreadful hypocrite,' she said in mock indignation, but meanwhile she was drawing down his head to her other nipple so he would continue. He bit it softly, then sucked until she uttered a soft moan. When he released her, he spotted the glasses of champagne on the bedside table, and he had a sudden stroke of inspiration. Taking a glass, he filled his mouth with the bubbly wine, then bent down and closed his lips around her nipple again. The prickling sensation immediately had her gasping, her hands in his hair, pulling him closer. He swallowed and took another sip to repeat the action on her other nipple, enjoying the way she was squirming underneath him. He knew what she wanted, but he wasn't ready to stop playing yet. Eventually, he stopped to look around, and spotted the bottle of oil on the bedside table. 'My turn,' he said, as he dripped some oil onto his hand. He had never done anything like this before (in fact, it reminded him rather a lot of Turkish bath houses and other such places of dubious reputation), but the thought of running his hands all over her body was irresistible.

As his strong hands moved over her body with gentle care, rubbing the warm oil all over her skin, Phryne felt like this must surely be the height of sensual pleasure. She settled down comfortably in the pillows and let him caress every inch of her, softly stroking, exerting pressure at certain points, incredibly delicate at others. Her body reacted to his touch, but for once, she stayed still and allowed him to continue, until her entire body was warm and pliable and shining with oil. She was in a mental state beyond mere arousal; she felt purely sensual and deeply connected to the man sitting next to her. Suddenly, she felt a deep desire to express that sense of connection. She rose languorously from the pillows and kissed him deeply. When she drew back, she saw that his eyes were dark with desire, but she felt that his mood was the same as hers: one of unhurried sensuality rather than urgent need.

'Will you take directions from me for a moment?' she whispered to him, and he nodded seriously, without saying a word, without a joke or teasing comment that would shatter the tender mood. 'Put some pillows up against the headboard, and lean back against them,' she instructed, and he obeyed without a word. 'Now cross your legs, like you're meditating.' He looked at her questioningly, and she showed him how. When he was in the right position, she carefully lowered herself onto his lap, wrapping her legs around him so they were face to face, their upper bodies touching. He noticed that her skin was smooth and slick from the oil. He helped her lift her hips, so she could slowly lower herself onto him, and he kept his eyes firmly fixed on hers as he entered her. Completely wrapped around each other, his face only inches from hers, he looked straight into her eyes as he started moving inside her, ever so slowly, supporting her hips to lift her slightly for each stroke. They were so close, soon their breathing became synchronized, and Jack could almost swear that he could feel her heart beat, and that it beat in time with his.

They both sank into a state of sensual pleasure that was beyond time, and they were aware of nothing but each other's closeness. After a while, both had the feeling that they could no longer really tell where their own body ended and the other's began. When she leaned her head back in ecstasy, he kissed the soft skin of her exposed throat. She wrapped her legs even closer around him, and sank deeper, making him moan softly. She looked at him tenderly and pressed her lips to his, and for several long moments they sank into a deep, lingering kiss, exploring each other with their tongues. She ran her hand down his back, sending a shiver down his spine. When she bit his lip and moaned, he realized how close she must be, and he slightly picked up the pace, feeling his own tension begin to build. She tilted her hips a little and arched her back, which pressed her upper body even closer to his, and he felt more connected to her than ever. He closed his eyes, but was intensely aware of her, of every movement and every tremor, and the moment she was ready, he knew. They both gasped at the same time as a delicious sensation spread from where they were joined to fill their entire bodies while they gripped each other closely. The orgasm was not the short burst of electricity that he was used to, rather it was a warmth, a tingling, inextricably mixed with a deep feeling of love and connection, and it went on for a blissful eternity.

Finally they both stopped moving at the same time. For a while, they sat entirely still, completely wrapped up in each other and the experience they had shared. Then, slowly, he sank back into the pillows, and she unwrapped her legs to lie in his arms and rest her head on his chest. They didn't speak. There was no need. Slowly, they drifted off into sleep.

* * *

_Author's note: If you enjoyed the chapter, please review! I'm also open to suggestions or requests for future chapters, as I'm starting to run out of ideas :) (Don't worry though, there will be more chapters soon!)_


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's note: _at the request of a guest reviewer, a chapter with some angst, so it's a little different from the rest. I hope you like it!

Please review if you have the time! It means a lot to me. I am also open to other requests :)

Enjoy!

* * *

He stormed through the door, as she had known he would. She stayed calmly in her chair as he slammed the door of his office shut and strode through the room to glower at her from the other side of the desk. He did not sit down, but placed his hands on the desk and looked at her with such fury, she couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable. However, she was Phryne Fisher, and not easily fazed. She looked back at him innocently.

'You are completely _impossible_', he nearly shouted, his voice hoarse with emotion.  
'And a very good morning to you, Jack', she replied with a raised eyebrow.  
'Don't play games with me, Miss Fisher. I heard what you did last night. You know perfectly well that you were _completely_ out of line!'  
'I know no such thing. I was simply doing my job.'  
'It is _not_…' his voice cracked, '… I repeat, _not_, your job to follow armed suspects into dark alleyways! Alone! That is something you leave to the police!'  
'Oh please, it would have taken you ages to get there. I could hardly have let him escape.'  
'Miss Fisher, we're talking about a man we suspect of having murdered three women!'  
'All the more reason not to let him get away. He might have killed again.'  
'Yes, Miss Fisher, and that is exactly my point! He might very well have killed again last night, with you going after him without so much as a thought for your own safety! You _knew _ he was armed!'  
'So was I.'

She looked at him completely unimpressed, eyebrows raised. 'You know, Jack, I feel you're being _quite_ ungrateful, really. After all, it was only thanks to me that the fellow was apprehended at all, and that he is at present in one of your cells. He was heading straight to the docks when I followed him, and would have been far out at sea right now if it wasn't for me.'  
But Jack was not at all ready to relent. 'You knew he was dangerous, yet you went after him on your own!'  
'I was careful.'  
He let out a bark of joyless laughter. 'You call that being careful? You were reckless, Miss Fisher!'  
'Well, I'm still here, aren't I? Nothing happened.'  
He looked down at the desk and spoke through gritted teeth. 'Through – _sheer – luck.'_  
She bristled a bit at that. 'Now I resent that, Jack. I don't think I'm a vain kind of person, but I do pride myself on having _some _skills. In fact, it was me, and not one of your people, who managed to track the man down in the first place. In the second place, I'm an excellent shot. Honestly, I don't see why you are getting so upset. I've been in plenty of tight spots before, have always managed to get myself out of them, and in none of these occasions have you ever felt the need to berate me as if I were a naughty child.'  
'Well, you have certainly behaved as irresponsibly as a child.'  
'But I always behave irresponsibly by your standards, and that has never really bothered you before.' She was looking at him closely. 'So what's really going on?'

At those words, he couldn't really keep it up anymore. He dropped into his chair, one hand covering his eyes. Suddenly it all crashed down on him, the fear he had felt when he had heard that both the suspect and Miss Fisher had disappeared, his panic at being unable to find them, the relief when he heard the suspect was in custody again, soon to be replaced by unreasonable anger when he heard about the risks she had taken, and when he saw her sitting in his office, as if nothing had happened, looking not a bit sorry for what she had put him through. He noticed his hands were shaking, and took a deep, calming breath.  
'Look. It's just that… I thought something might have happened to you… I was scared.'  
'But you know I can take care of myself. I've been in situations like these hundreds of times and…'  
He felt his anger flare again. This was _exactly _the kind of attitude he was talking about: she acted like it was nothing. 'And one of these times it's going to end badly!'  
'Jack!'  
'You don't _think_ before you act, you rush into things without so much as a second thought!'  
'I don't…'  
'You are _irresponsible_…'  
'Oh please…'  
'Completely _reckless_…'  
'I never…'  
'And you are dangerously over-confident in your own abilities. You seem to think that you are invulnerable, but you are not!'  
She leaned forward now, her eyes narrowed dangerously. 'Now look, Inspector, it's been a long night for me, and I will not sit here and get shouted at, even by you. I did nothing wrong, and if you're waiting for me to apologize, I'm afraid you will have to wait for a very long time.'  
She started to get up, ready to leave. He felt a kind of desparation well up inside him. Why didn't she understand? Why didn't she see how unbearable it would be for him if something happened to her, now more than ever. He had loved her before, but abstractly, hopelessly, from a distance. But now… now he knew what it was like to be with her, to have his life transformed by her glorious presence, to hold her close and to laugh with her, and he had grown to love her so deeply and desperately that sometimes it scared him. The thought of losing her nearly drove him out of his mind.

He tried to explain. 'It's just that… You can't behave like this anymore. Now that I have you, I can't lose you.'  
He knew immediately that he had said the wrong thing. She drew herself up and gave him a very cold look. '_Have_ me, Inspector Robinson? I beg your pardon, you do not _have_ me. I don't know how you see this relationship, Inspector, but there certainly is no _having_ involved. Don't think for a _moment_ that I am yours command, that you have the right to demand anything of me. It is not because we are… _involved_… that I am in any way beholden to you. I owe you nothing. I am not obliged to make any changes in my lifestyle simply to please you, and I don't plan on doing so. You are not to tell me what I can or cannot do. I am my own woman, Inspector. And you are the last person in the world that I thought I would ever have to say that to.'  
And with one last look of hurt and cold anger, she turned around and left his office in a whirl of silk and feathers, head held high.

* * *

The rest of the day passed in a haze of misery and regret. He performed his duties perfunctorily, not really paying attention. In the evening, he volunteered for the late shift, relieving the constable on duty. He had no desire to go home to his cold and empty house and drown himself in whiskey, so he stayed at his desk as the station quieted around him and his office grew dark, except for the one lamp on his desk. He knew it was very improbable that anything would happen in the city tonight, so that allowed him plenty of time to think and hate himself. Because, however he turned over their conversation in his mind, he could only come to one conclusion. He was an idiot.

Now that he was calmer, he could look at the situation and his own reaction more objectively. He realized now that he had only been angry as a result of his earlier fear and panic, and the knowledge that those emotions could have been avoided if only she had behaved differently. But of course, he did not want her to behave differently, not really. As he had said once before, he would not change her for the world. Now that he was calm, he realized that she really hadn't done anything wrong, that she really had been doing her job, even if she was the only person in the world who felt that this was actually part of her duties. He cringed in shame as he remembered how he had shouted at her. Of course, he had been venting his emotions, his fear, his frustration, his relief – but that did not excuse his words.

He sat for a long time with his head in his hands. So this was it. This was how it ended. He knew she would never stand it if she felt trapped, knew she wouldn't stay with him if she felt even for a moment that he was being too possessive, that she was not free. And that was exactly what he had done. He gave a wry smile as he realized the irony of it all. He had been so afraid at the thought that he might lose her through some dangerous action of hers, and now his reaction to that fear was actually what had driven her away. He had lost her because he was afraid of losing her. He really was an idiot. He had no trouble admitting to himself that the last few weeks had been the best, and happiest, of his life. She had reawakened a joy for life inside of him that he had almost forgotten he had. His stomach clenched painfully at the thought that he might never see her again.

* * *

It was long after midnight when he heard the door to the station open. He looked up, surprised. It was very unusual for any trouble to happen this late on a week night. He got out of his chair, but before he could reach the door, it flew open, and there stood Phryne. She looked simply wonderful, as always. He realized that she must have slept and bathed and changed clothes, and he was suddenly very aware of the fact that he had done none of these things. He must have looked terrible, because a soft look came over her features as they stared at each other without speaking. Then, at exactly the same time, they both said: 'I've been selfish.' They looked at each other in amazement for a moment, then both gave a small smile. Phryne was the first to speak again.

'You were right, Jack. Not about everything, but about the fact that I don't really think about what I'm doing. I mean, I know perfectly well what kind of situation I'm getting myself into, but I don't think about what that might mean for… the people around me. I still don't think I did anything wrong, but I _will_ apologize for not understanding your outburst earlier. I should have realized you were only angry because you care for me. I should have understood that my actions impact you, whether I want them to or not. I won't change, mind you. But I will not get angry if you show concern for me.' A smile lifted one corner of her mouth. 'In whatever way you wish to express it.'

He couldn't believe it. He knew that this must have been a, for her, highly exceptional effort to see things from someone else's perspective, and he was grateful. But some things still rankled with him.  
'I will not stop trying to protect you, Phryne.'  
'And I will not stop trying to get around that to do whatever I like.'  
'Fair enough.' He smiled, then became serious again. 'I'm sorry, Phryne.'  
She held up her hand and softly said, 'It's alright, Jack.'  
'No, it's not! I shouldn't have…'  
She came closer and softly put her fingers against his lips. 'It's alright', she whispered.  
He didn't move for a moment, looking into her eyes, which were full of love and understanding. The next thing he knew, she was in his arms, and he was gripping her tightly, burying his face into her hair. He knew he must be hurting her, but she didn't complain, only gripped him back.  
'Oh God, I thought I'd lost you', he groaned.  
'You're not getting rid of me that easily, Inspector.' She tried to sound light-hearted, but he noticed that she was also holding on to him rather tightly. After a moment she asked, in a rather timid voice: 'So you still want me? Despite the danger, the recklessness, the…'  
He looked at her in disbelief. 'How can you even ask that? I just spent the most miserable afternoon of my life, thinking I'd never see you again. I still can't believe you're here… you're back… Oh Phryne…'

He kissed her fiercely, desperately. He was suddenly overcome by a need to feel her warm skin, to be as close to her as he could, to take her, to possess her as fully as possible to prove that she was there, that she was his. His hands ran feverishly over her body, down her spine, over her buttocks, back up over her stomach. He cupped a breast, pinching a nipple to hear her moan. 'Jack!' she gasped, laughing, trying half-heartedly to push him away. 'Really, here? I thought you were Mr. Propriety, right time and place and that kind of thing?'  
He stopped kissing her neck for long enough to look dangerously into her eyes and whisper huskily, 'Not always, Miss Fisher.'  
The next moment, he had turned her around, lifted her, and planted her firmly on his desk. He pushed her legs apart so he could stand between them and continued to kiss her throat, leaving small bite marks with his teeth. 'Jack!' she pretended to protest, but he didn't pay any attention. He didn't just want her. He _needed_ her. He pinched a nipple again and she gasped, gripping the back of his shirt as a sudden wave of desire washed over her. His hand moved hungrily down to her thigh, and he pushed her skirt up to her hips, running his fingers over her silk underwear. She leaned against him, arms around his neck, sighing longingly as his hand moved between her legs. When he noticed a damp patch, he couldn't resist. He pushed the fabric aside, and with one quick movement, pushed a finger inside. She moaned sharply, then bit his shoulder.

That was too much for him. She gasped as he suddenly pushed her down onto the desk, scattering papers everywhere, and pulled her hips close to the edge. He leaned over her to whisper in her ear, 'You have no idea how much I want you. Right here, right now.'  
She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him close so he was pressed tightly against her. 'Well, I certainly won't object, Inspector', she said, and he noticed how flushed she was, her eyes dark, her lips swollen and slightly open. With a groan of desire, he stood up to remove her slip and unbutton his trousers. She reached up and grabbed the edge of the desk as he firmly took hold of her hips and pushed in with one hard thrust. She cried out and wrapped her legs around him again, and he pressed into her deeper, enjoying the sight of her sprawled out beneath him, eyes closed, while involuntary moans escaped her lips every time he pushed himself inside of her.  
Suddenly he felt that there was too much distance between them, and he leaned forward, his elbows on the desk on either side of her, putting the weight and warmth of his body on hers. Somehow, she got her hands under his shirt, and suddenly she was digging her nails into his back. He gasped, but the pain was exquisite, and only served to spur him on as he took her harder, with a kind of desperation, a release for the anguish he had felt. She was here, she was real, she was his, her body trembling underneath him, her voice crying out as he moved faster, and when he felt her clench around him, he allowed his own release with a cry that was almost a sob, and he gripped her tightly as their bodies convulsed together.

Afterwards, he did not let go of her, until she softly started stroking his hair, his neck, his back. Gradually, his emotions subsided, and he released her enough to look at her. She had a soft, glowing look in her eyes as she rose up slightly to kiss him, ever so gently. 'It's alright, darling', she whispered, and he felt his worries melt away at last, to be replaced by that deep, warm feeling of happiness that only she could give him. Gentler now, he bent back down to hold her, and nuzzle her neck. She giggled, and then couldn't resist anymore.  
'Well,' she said, amused, 'All those times I sat on your desk, Inspector, and I really never thought I would ever be in quite… _this_ position.'  
His eyes suddenly flew open in alarm as a realization of where they were returned to him, along with the knowledge that the door to the station had been unlocked the entire time. Anyone could have walked in. Moreover, it was far from professional to conduct… personal affairs… in his place of work. He quickly withdrew, stood up, and started to make himself look decent again, but she laughingly sat up and caught him by his tie, pulling him close again.  
'What does it matter, really?' she smiled up at him, and wrapped her arms around his neck for another kiss. As his lips touched hers, the concerns of the outside world miraculously seemed to disappear again. He was so grateful she was still here. Anything else… yes, what did it matter really?


	10. Chapter 10

_Author's note: at the request of several reviewers, a chapter on Phryne showing her 'exhibitionist side'. I loved writing this, but at times doubted a bit if I was staying true to the characters, whether this was really something she would do. But then I thought: fan dance._

_Enjoy, and if you can, please review and let me know what you think!_

* * *

Jack put down the phone and sighed.  
'A woman was shot on the pier,' he explained to Miss Fisher, who had been standing next to him while he was talking to the station. 'Then fell off, into the sea. She didn't drown, so she was dead before she hit the water. The problem is, we have no idea who she is. Nothing was found to identify her. If she's not reported missing soon, we'll have a hard time solving this. The thing is…' He frowned. 'I get the feeling that the constable on duty did a rather bad job of looking around the crime scene. I feel like he hasn't been very thorough… Might have missed something…'  
Phryne looked up at him with a delighted grin. 'Well Jack, you know what that means?'  
'Do I want to know?'  
'A day at the beach!'  
'See, I didn't want to know.'  
'The weather is just perfect.'  
'But… it's my day off…'  
'And it's the beach, Jack! Come on, it'll be _fun_!'  
'Why don't I believe that?' he grumbled, but she was already pulling on her coat, and he knew that this was one battle he wouldn't win. Moreover, he really did feel like he needed to look around that crime scene. So he got his hat and coat and together they got into the car and drove to the seaside.

It was a warm day, with a cloudless sky and hardly any wind. Luckily, they both had the foresight to leave their hats and coats in the car, but still, Jack was soon feeling much too hot in his customary three-piece suit. Phryne, on the other hand, looked perfectly comfortable in a light blouse and skirt, and was clearly enjoying the long walk over the sand to the pier that was their crime scene. Jack frowned when they arrived – the scene was no longer secured by the police and people had already trampled all over it. Apparently the officer on duty had felt that the place would offer them no more clues, but this would make their work much more difficult. They walked up and down the pier, noticing nothing of interest. By then, Jack was feeling distinctly uncomfortable in his warm clothes, and Phryne seemed to notice. 'Jack, why don't you take off at least _some _layers of clothing. Honestly, only you would come to the beach wearing a suit. It's perfectly ridiculous.'  
'Well, seeing as we were coming here on a police investigation, I…' He suddenly broke off as he noticed that her hands were undoing the buttons of his jacket.  
'Miss Fisher, are you seriously undressing me in public?'  
She laughed. 'Well, someone needs to, before you overheat.'  
He pushed her hands away, looking around furtively. 'I can take it from here, Miss Fisher, thank you.'  
She gave him a coquettish look from underneath her eyelashes. 'Well… if you insist, Inspector.'

Jacket over his arm, Jack suggested they take a look underneath the pier, but there was nothing to be found there, either. As they emerged again, Phryne sighed and stared out at the waves. Suddenly her eyes narrowed, and she pointed to an object floating on the surface of the water.  
'Jack, look! There!'  
Before he had time to react, she had kicked off her shoes and was wading into the water.  
'Wait… what…' he spluttered, appalled. 'What in heaven's name are you doing? Get back here!'  
But she had already found what she was looking for. Now waist-deep in the water, she triumphantly waved what looked like a leather-bound little book in the air. 'I've got something!'  
She waded back to the beach, where he was waiting for her with a furious expression.  
'Acting without thinking again, Miss Fisher!'  
'It wasn't far out, Jack, and I'm an excellent swimmer.'  
'I wasn't talking about that! Look at yourself, you're all wet!'  
She flashed him a very wicked grin. 'Usually you don't object to that, Inspector.'  
He rolled his eyes at the innuendo, not in the mood for games. 'You need dry clothes.'  
'A very shrewd observation. Well then, let's get back to the car, and go home. I don't think we'll find any more clues here.'  
But as she started to walk back along the beach, he suddenly noticed how her thin, wet clothes were clinging to her body in a way that was _much _too suggestive. In fact, she was attracting rather a lot of attention from the other beachgoers, especially the men. He quickly went to stand in front of her.  
'No, I don't think so, Miss Fisher. Better stay here for a while until you're… a little drier.'  
'Yes, good idea, Jack. I wouldn't want to ruin my upholstery by getting seawater all over it.'  
And she promptly started to roll down her stockings to put them out to dry on the sand. He felt a little uncomfortable about her performing such a private act in the middle of a fairly crowed beach, and he again looked around furtively to check if many people noticed. They did.

He turned back to Phryne, who was of course completely unfazed. 'Miss Fisher…' he started carefully, with the intention of suggesting that she had better put her stockings back on before people started to talk. However, she distracted him by straightening up and pushing the salvaged book into his hands. 'I think it's a diary. Take a look at it.'  
He opened the book carefully. It did indeed look like a diary. Even though it was waterlogged, and the ink had run in most places, he thought it might still be possible to decipher enough to give them some clues as to the identity of the victim. He looked up to tell her that, and his mouth fell open in horror.  
Oh God, she was _not_ taking off her blouse! But she was, calmly unbuttoning the front and shrugging it off to reveal a silk white camisole underneath. He felt himself go extremely red and instantly took his jacket from his arm to hold it open in front of her, trying to shield her from view from three sides at once.  
'What – are – you – _doing_?!' he hissed through gritted teeth.  
She looked up at him with an infuriating expression of being completely reasonable. 'What? You said we should stay here until my clothes were dry – I don't want to sit here all afternoon – and clothes dry faster when laid out in the sun. So I'm taking them off.' And she proceeded to neatly step out of her skirt. She was now only dressed in her slip and her camisole, which had a silk little skirt attached to it that reached to just below her buttocks. God help him, she would be the death of him.

'Put your clothes back on!' he growled urgently, looking over his shoulder to throw a very angry look at a couple of young men who were walking by and seemed very interested.  
'Oh come on, Jack, this is practically the same as wearing a bathing suit.'  
'But it's _not_ your bathing suit, it's your underwear! And people are starting to notice!'  
She followed his gaze to the young men, threw them a flirty look over her shoulder and waved. They instantly turned crimson and hurried away. 'See? Nothing to worry about.'  
By now he was ready to explode. However, he knew perfectly well that she was doing this to provoke him more than anything else, and getting angry would only be counterproductive. So he tried to take a calming breath, before saying firmly: 'Right. Well then, take my jacket, and _sit down_ until your things are dry.'  
'Fine,' she said, taking the jacket from him, spreading it out on the sand, and sitting down on top of it, stretching out luxuriously in the warm sunlight. That was the last straw.  
He kneeled down next to her, looked at her darkly and said in a very soft, very dangerous voice: 'Miss Fisher, if, in about five minutes, I drop dead of an apoplexy, please realize that it will be entirely your doing. I meant for you to get _under_ the jacket – as you know perfectly well – and if you don't do so immediately, I will charge you with public indecency.'  
She looked at him challengingly for a long moment, then finally, miraculously, she gave in. She rolled her eyes at him, but got up so he could take the jacket. He brushed off the sand. 'Sit down.' She did as she was told, and he draped the jacket around her shoulders. 'Now pull up your knees.' She hugged her knees to her chest, so he could envelop her entirely in the jacket. 'And hold it _closed_. Agreed?' She nodded, and he finally felt able to relax again. With a sigh of relief, he dropped down onto the sand next to her. 'This is absolutely the last time I'm taking you to the beach.'  
She grinned.

They looked out at the ocean for a moment without speaking, then she slightly turned her head to look at him.  
'Why did you react so…'  
But he cut off the question immediately. 'Because it's not decent. You're a lady.'  
She pouted. 'Sometimes it's very _boring_ to be a lady.'  
He snorted. 'Forgive me for not feeling sorry for you. I don't feel like you let your title get in the way of your enjoyment of life very often.'  
She gave a satisfied smile. 'Well, yes, I suppose that's true.'  
They stared at the waves for a while in companionable silence, until Jack noticed that she had crept almost imperceptibly closer, so that they were now almost shoulder to shoulder. He knew that look.  
'Public place, Miss Fisher', he said in a warning tone, refusing to look at her.  
She leaned against him, and his eye was caught by a glimpse of white as his jacket slid down to reveal an ivory shoulder, and a strap of lacy lingerie. He swallowed, but kept his face as dispassionate as possible as he reached over to cover her up again. She nuzzled his neck.  
'Stop it.'  
'Come on, Jack, there's no harm in showing some affection in public.'  
He looked down at her to explain exactly why that notion was wrong in all possible ways, but he never got the chance, as she suddenly turned up her face and kissed him full on the lips.

He drew back instantly, and she laughed at the look of utter confusion on his face. 'See! You're still alive, and your reputation untarnished.'  
'How do you know that?' he grumbled.  
'Because the beach is nearly empty by now.'  
He looked around, and saw that it was true. It was getting late in the afternoon, and most people were starting to head home. Phryne nestled close to him and looked up at him with those irresistible blue eyes.  
'There's almost nobody left…' she suggested playfully, but he resisted the temptation.  
'_Almost_ nobody is not _nobody_, Miss Fisher', he stated firmly.  
'You're too much concerned with what other people think, Inspector.'  
'And you are too little concerned with what other people think. It's only natural, I suppose. You have your assured position in society, thanks to your wealth, your title, your connections. But I have a reputation to think of, a job that I need to keep.'  
She looked contrite for a moment. 'I'm sorry.'  
He gave a one-sided smile. 'Don't be, it only confuses me.'  
She smiled, and reached over to feel her clothes. 'I think they're nearly dry now, maybe I can put them back on and…' But her words were cut off by a sudden gust of wind that lifted the light pieces of cloth and blew the blouse right from between her fingers.  
She exclaimed 'Oh!', and next thing he knew, she had thrown off the jacket and was running down the beach in her underwear, chasing down the blouse and laughing like a child.  
He allowed himself a moment to look towards the heavens in exasparation, then got up, snatched up the jacket, and sprinted after her.

The wind blew the blouse under the pier, and that was where she caught it, and he caught her. They tumbled down onto the sand, both out of breath, Phryne still laughing so delightedly he didn't have the heart to scold her. He simply covered her up with the jacket again, and tried to get up, but she pulled him down, wrapping her arms around his neck.  
'Phryne…' he protested, looking around in alarm, but she shushed him.  
'Look, Jack. It's almost sunset. Everyone has gone home.'  
She was quite right. The beach was deserted by now. He still wasn't entirely comfortable.  
'Someone might still walk by…' he suggested feebly, but she would no longer accept his excuses.  
'I'm willing to risk it', she said with a look full of longing, as she drew him down for another kiss, and this time he allowed himself to kiss her back. The setting sun was throwing long shadows, and underneath the pier it was almost quite dark already. He knew they would probably not be noticed from a distance. Nevertheless, he couldn't help looking around again, just to be sure.  
'Jack,' she whispered, 'you worry too much. You need to learn to relax sometimes. Nobody will be walking on the beach after sunset.'  
He knew she was right, and when she kissed his neck and pressed herself against him, he felt his resistance begin to crumble. He could feel the warmth and shape of her body through the thin layer of silk, and he felt his own body react in response. He pushed her down in the sand and pressed his mouth to hers, using his tongue to lightly swish past her lips, teasing, not allowing himself to get drawn in when her lips parted to give him access. He bit her bottom lip softly, then moved to kiss her throat. Meanwhile, his hands were gliding over the smooth silk covering her stomach and breasts, and she squirmed when he intentionally avoided all her sensitive spots.

'Jack!', she complained when his hand stroked the soft inside of her bare thigh, without moving upwards. He looked down at her uncertainly.  
'Do you really want to do this?'  
She looked up at him with a look of excitement and anticipation. 'Yes,' she whispered breathlessly. 'The open air, the breeze, the sound of the waves, don't you love it? It's so different from what we're used to, don't you think that's exhilarating? The setting sun, the warm sand…'  
'The chance of getting caught…'  
She grinned up at him. 'Almost non-existent at this point. And…' she pressed her body against his in a most alluring way and whispered: 'don't you think that rather adds to the excitement?'  
He wasn't sure about that last part, but by now his brain wasn't really in charge anymore. So he gave in and kissed her fiercely, and she moaned in satisfaction as he pressed his hand between her thighs. But when he moved to roll on top of her, she stopped him.  
'Have you ever made love on a beach before?' she asked him.  
He looked at her sarcastically. 'What do you think?'  
She chose to ignore the sarcasm. 'Well, the thing is, you have to be careful about the sand not… getting places. It chafes, you see, so…'  
He lost track of what she was saying for a moment as he tried very hard not to think of when (and especially, with whom) she might have had sex on a beach before. For a moment, he felt a stab of jealousy, but he pushed it away. Don't go there, he told himself firmly. After all, he knew what he was getting into when he first kissed her. And he had sworn to himself that he would take her for whom she was, with everything that entailed. And after all, he thought with an inward smile, she was here now, with him, and that was all that really mattered. He managed to focus his attention back to her just in time to hear her say 'So I think I'd better get on top.'

He blushed a bit to hear her discuss positions so openly, and she laughed.  
'Jack, you have taken me in about every possible way, but you blush when I talk about it?'  
He felt himself go even redder. It was different in the heat of passion. He wasn't really the kind of person to talk these things over beforehand (or afterwards), like it was something practical. He felt things should happen spontaneously. But Phryne seemed unperturbed. 'It's really the most practical if you lie on your back.'  
He did so a little reluctantly, feeling slightly disinclined to relinquish his dominant position in a situation where he did not feel completely in control in the first place. But a moment later, her lithe body was on top of him, and he suddenly didn't care anymore, she was so warm and willing in his arms. She kissed him passionately, then started to move her hips against him in exquisite torture, until he felt he would go mad with his desire for her.

'Phryne,' he whispered, his voice cracking, and she promptly started to unbutton his trousers. By now it was nearly dark, but her skin was so white, she seemed almost luminous in the dusky light. He groaned when her soft fingers touched him and drew him out, caressing him for a moment. Then she lifted her hips and, still holding him to guide him in, she slowly lowered herself onto him with a soft moan. He grasped her hips tightly as she starting moving above him, loving the fact that he could look at her, watch her arch her back and throw back her head in ecstasy.  
He enjoyed the view for several longs moments, before he pulled her down on top of him, both because he felt she was too conspicuous sitting up, and because he wanted to feel her. He kissed her, tangling one hand into her hair, running the other down her back, enjoying the feel of smooth silk. He then let both hands wander to her hips again, found her buttocks, and cupped them firmly, which allowed him some control over the pace she was setting. She buried her head against his shoulder and murmured huskily 'Oh, Jack!'  
He felt a great stab of excitement to hear her say his name like that, and he bucked his hips to take her deeper, making her gasp. She tilted her hips; suddenly she was so very tight around him, and he pressed into her hard, groaning as he tried to control himself. He didn't need to wait long. The increased pressure was making her moan, and he felt her muscles tense as she arched her back. He held off for a few more strokes, until he felt her clench around him and heard her cry out, holding on to him tightly. He allowed himself to let go, grasping her hips to pull her deeper so she enveloped him completely as he felt the glorious release sweep through him.

She collapsed on top of him, and he loved to feel the weight of her body on his, loved that he could wrap his arms around her and caress her softly. He closed his eyes contentedly, feeling that he could just stay like this all night. After a while, though, a cool breeze blew under the pier, and he felt her start to shiver. He wrapped her closer in his arms, but at the same time he opened his eyes and said, 'We should get you dressed – finally.'  
She gave him a lazy smile and rolled off him to look for her blouse. He buttoned up his trousers, then ducked out from under the pier to retrieve her skirt and stockings, which were still lying where she had left them out to dry. When she was fully dressed again, they stood for a moment together next to the pier to gaze up at the night sky, where millions of stars were visible. She leaned her head against his shoulder and he put his arm around her waist, thinking that it really wasn't so bad to make love on a beach, or to take a risk every now and then. Well… a carefully calculated risk, that is. He kissed the top of her head, and together they started walking back towards the car.


	11. Chapter 11

_Author's note: This chapter is dedicated to WhatsABriard, who requested this scene. It took me weeks to write, since I wanted to get it just right. I'm still a bit nervous about pushing that 'publish' button._

_ I __would really like to hear what you think of it, so please review if you have the time. Much appreciated! :)_

_In the meantime: a big thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far! Also to everyone who has put in a request. I've taken note of all of the requests, and I'd like to write them all, but the gods of inspiration are fickle, so you may have to wait a while if something else strikes my fancy :)_

Anyway, enjoy this chapter, and let me know what you think!

* * *

Jack straightened his tie compulsively for what felt like the hundredth time. He wished he didn't feel so nervous. In fact, he told himself, there was nothing to be nervous about. But he couldn't help feeling that this was an important evening, and that it might turn out very uncomfortable for him. Because tonight, for the first time since he and Phryne had started their relationship, Mac was coming to dinner, and Jack had no doubt that he would be subjected to very thorough scrutiny. He was a little apprehensive about the result, because Mac had a very sharp tongue, and very little inclination to keep her opinions to herself. Jack reminded himself of the fact that Mac had, at a couple of occasions, expressed something like respect and even liking for him, but that was before he was having an affair with her best friend. He was nervous that she would not deem him worthy of Phryne (a fear that was perhaps exacerbated by his own continued nagging doubts on the subject). In other words, he wanted to make a good impression.

Phryne was still getting ready, doing whatever it was she did that made her look so fabulous, so Jack was waiting in the parlor, enjoying a whiskey and a last couple of minutes of calm before what he knew would be a very turbulent evening. Phryne alone was sometimes more than he could handle. Add Mac to that, and the Inspector knew full well that he would have to keep his wits about him to keep up. He felt that the energy of these two women combined was enough to flatten most men, but he was determined to brave the storm head-on.

A few moments later, Phryne swept into the room, wearing a cream-colored dress and her signature scarlet lipstick. She immediately sat herself down on his lap to kiss him, and Jack rumbled his approval as he wrapped his arms around her. In fact, a dangerous look appeared in his eyes as he contemplated how delicious she looked, and how much he wanted to take her straight back upstairs. 'Do you like the dress?' she asked, and he nodded distractedly, much more interested in how exactly he would get her _out_ of it. However, these happy fantasies were abruptly cut off by a brisk knock on the door. 'Mac's here', Phryne said brightly, and Jack internally braced himself as Mr. Butler went to open the door. Impeccably dressed in a suit as usual, Mac marched through the door, handed Mr. Butler her hat, and immediately rolled her eyes at the sight of Phryne sitting on Jack's lap. 'I'm not going to have to endure this kind of sentimentality all evening, am I?' she asked in an exasperated voice.

As ever, Phryne seemed completely immune to her friend's grumpiness, and rose gracefully to embrace her. 'Mac, I'm so glad to see you! It's been a while.'  
'Yes, well, I imagine you were busy with other things', Mac replied, raising a meaningful eyebrow at the Inspector.  
'I have indeed', Phryne replied unabashed, throwing Jack a glowing look.  
Already feeling a little uncomfortable, Jack got up to shake Mac's hand. 'Doctor MacMillan', he greeted her with his usual courtesy.  
A moment later, Mr. Butler announced that dinner was ready, and Jack followed the two women into the dining room with the feeling that his would be a … challenging evening.

* * *

To his surprise, however, dinner went very smoothly. He seemed to fit seamlessly into their pattern of conversation, joining them effortlessly in their discussions, matching each witty remark with a suited repartee, and fending off all teasing comments with perfect composure. In fact, by the end of the meal, he was sensing a vibe of definite approval coming from Mac, though she was trying not to show it. They talked about Jack and Phryne's latest case, Hugh and Dot's upcoming wedding, and Mac's work at the hospital, and Jack was finally starting to relax.

When the plates had been cleared away, and the whiskey had been brought out, the three of them sat in comfortable silence for a moment. Then, Mac straightened with an air of coming to business at last, and Jack felt himself tense slightly.  
'So', she started with a most businesslike look at the two of them. 'You two.'  
'Yes,' said Phryne, tilting her chin defiantly.  
'So what is this?' Mac continued, and Jack swallowed uncomfortably. That was an excellent question.  
But Phryne answered as lightly as ever. 'It is what it is, Mac, you know me.'  
Mac nodded. 'But you are – officially – involved now?'  
For a moment, Jack was a little worried about how Phryne would react to the word 'officially', but she just exchanged a quick look with him, took his hand and said 'Well… yes.'  
Mac contemplated them both for a moment, then nodded in a satisfied way and grumbled 'finally', before taking another sip of her whiskey, and that was it. Relieved, Jack sat back in his chair and the conversation resumed about other matters.

Several glasses of whiskey later, Jack was rather enjoying himself, leaning back in his chair as he mostly listened to the two women talking and laughing, bringing up past adventures they had shared for his amusement. He noticed how finely attuned they were to one another, how well they were able to anticipate what the other was going to say, and he suddenly realized how very deep their friendship must be, in spite of the fact that their temperaments were so vastly different. The realization brought a question to his mind.  
'I'm curious,' he asked when there was a lull in the conversation. 'Tell me, how did you two meet?'  
He had expected Phryne to immediately launch enthusiastically into another whirling story, but to his surprise, both women were suddenly very quiet and exchanged a look full of meaning that he couldn't quite interpret. He noticed that Mac was trying to suppress a grin, and Phryne glanced at him uncertainly. He sat up a little straighter. This was decidedly strange; he had never seen her think twice before she said anything – there must be more to the story than he had anticipated when he had asked his perfectly innocent question.

Phryne looked at Mac again. 'What do you think?'  
Mac shrugged. 'It's up to you if you want to tell him.' She glanced at Jack with a mischievous glint in her eye. 'If you think he can handle it.'  
Jack was starting to feel a little apprehensive by now. Maybe he didn't want to know. But Phryne seemed to have come to a decision.  
'Fine', she said. 'It's a funny story, really.'  
'Funny,' Mac snorted. 'Let's see if the Inspector shares that opinion.'  
Phryne ignored her. 'Well…' she started slowly. 'We met a long time ago…'  
'Longer than I care to remember', Mac mumbled into her glass.  
'I was still very young then,' Phryne continued meditatively, 'and my taste in men was somewhat… questionable at the time.'  
'Awful, really,' Mac interrupted. 'Believe me, Inspector, you're a vast improvement.'  
Jack inclined his head at the somewhat questionable compliment, but didn't reply. He wasn't really liking where this was going.  
'Anyway,' Phryne continued as if there had been no interruption. 'One night, I was having drinks at the bar of a very nice hotel with a handsome but particularly gormless individual who kept droning on about his achievements on the golf course or something like that. I was bored half to death and seriously regretting that I had accepted his invitation, when suddenly he finally did something interesting: he started choking on an olive. I hardly had time to react, before Mac suddenly appeared out of nowhere…'  
'The seat next to you', Mac interjected drily.  
'… gripped the man around the waist, and expertly used a Heimlich maneuver, saving his life.'  
'Quite heroically,' Mac added, taking another sip of her whiskey.  
'Well, at that point, the fellow was so embarrassed, completely red, and probably quite overcome by shock…'  
'… that he'd been rescued by a woman', Mac mumbled, but Phryne ignored her again.  
'So he made his excuses and left', Phryne finished.

Jack smiled. That wasn't too bad. 'So that's how you met.'  
Mac threw him an indecipherable look, one corner of her mouth pulled down in a half-smile. 'Well… that's not really the whole story.'  
Phryne sighed and glanced at Jack again before she continued. 'I was very grateful that Mac had rescued me from such a horribly tedious evening, so I invited her to stay and have a drink with me. We had a tremendous evening together, and rather too much to drink, I daresay…'  
Jack was taking an absentminded sip of his whiskey.  
'… so we ended up spending the night together.' Phryne finished matter-of-factly.  
Jack choked on his whiskey so hard he thought he could feel it come out through his nose. He emerged from his glass, spluttering and coughing, to stare in disbelief at the woman he loved. Phryne offered him a handkerchief with a sympathetic look, while Mac smiled in satisfaction. 'See, I told you he wouldn't be able to handle it.'  
He finally regained his breath. 'You…'  
'Well, yes', said Phryne calmly, with a small smile.  
'And what a night it was', said Mac reminiscently.  
'Mac!' Phryne grinned, but tried to hush her friend after one look at the scandalized expression on Jack's face.  
'Anyway,' Mac continued without taking the least notice, 'I still think it's quite marvelous that we ended up such good friends after that. I don't think a lot of lifelong friendships began with a night of…'  
'Mac!' Phryne interjected again, throwing Jack a look of mixed concern and amusement before explaining: 'You see, over breakfast the next day, Mac and I discovered that we had quite a lot in common. So even though I made it perfectly clear that it had been a one-time-only thing for me, we stayed in touch afterwards, and became friends.'  
'It's a shame, though', said Mac dispassionately, while Jack threw back his drink, evidently feeling that he needed something strong. 'It could've really been something, if it wasn't for your unfortunate preference for cock.'  
For the second time, Jack choked on his whiskey, but Phryne was laughing.  
'Well, I _do _have that', she smiled, looking fondly at Jack. But by now, the Inspector was completely speechless, opening and closing his mouth several times with no sound coming out. Phryne seemed to realize that he was genuinely shocked, and probably thought it best to get Mac out of the room. So she remarked that it was getting late, and Mac got the hint, getting up and announcing that she would be going home. As she walked around the table, she wished Jack goodnight with a sympathetic pat on his shoulder. Phryne walked her friend to the door, and hugged her goodbye. Jack noticed a few more moments of whispered conversation, stifled laughter, and then Mac was gone.

'Are you alright?'  
Jack looked up to see Phryne leaning against the door jamb, a soft smile on her face. He nodded curtly. She came to stand behind him and ran her fingers through his hair, which had a soothing effect. He took a deep breath and leaned his head back against her. She ran her hands over his shoulders, down his chest and to his stomach. 'Let's go to bed', she whispered in his ear. He hesitated for a moment. He was still trying to process everything he had just heard, not sure what to do with the information. He had always known that Phryne's idea of what was decent differed vastly from his own (or, for that matter, from the rest of society), but he had never suspected that she would go this far. He swallowed hard as he tried to wrap his head around what she had done. But he felt her hands on him, and gradually came to the realization that she was still Phryne, still the same wonderful woman he loved so much that she had become a part of him. He sighed as he realized that he would just have to come to terms with this. So he nodded silently, and got up to follow her to the bedroom.

* * *

Once they were in bed together, in the privacy and intimacy of the bedroom, Phryne nestled close to Jack and looked up at him questioningly.  
'Go ahead. Ask whatever it is you want to ask.'  
So she had noticed the crease between his eyebrows. He tried to untangle his thoughts to find a simple question to start with.  
'You and Mac… was it… just the one time?'  
'Just the one time', she assured him.  
'And only with Mac?'  
She hesitated. 'There were… one or two others.'  
He looked at her, incomprehension etched across his face. 'But… why?'  
She caressed his chest with soft fingers as she tried to explain. 'You know me, Jack, I like to try everything, as long as it's new and exciting. Being with a woman is different from being with a man.'  
In spite of himself, his curiosity was piqued. 'Different… how?'  
'Well…' she thought about it for a moment. 'It's thrilling to explore a body that is so different from what you're used to. A body that is so much like your own in many ways, yet subtly different. It is interesting to try out new things, experience new sights, new tastes, new sensations…'  
Suddenly, Jack's imagination was teeming with images that weren't at all bad. He tried to push them away, but was quite unsuccessful. He really didn't want to ask his next question, but it escaped his lips anyway. 'And with Mac…?'  
Phryne smiled. 'Well, that was the first time I'd ever spent the night with a woman, and I can tell you it was quite a revelation. She was very experienced, even then, and very skilled. She taught me things about my body that I didn't even know myself. Being with a woman always has the advantage that they know much better than most men what women like. They are gentler, and patient, and they know where and how to touch, to kiss…'  
Jack glanced at her uncertainly. 'But then… why are you here with me?'

She grinned up at him. 'Oh darling, don't worry, you're at least as skilled as any woman. And besides, well, I do have a… preference for the finer parts of the male body', she replied, deliberately using a more delicate phrase than Mac had used. She ran her hand appreciatively over Jack's muscled arms and shoulders.  
'I love how strong you are…'  
She took his hand and kissed the palm.  
'I love your hands, how you always find the right spots…'  
Jack involuntarily thawed a little as she ran her hand over his chest and he felt his body react to her touch. How did she do it, he wondered wryly, how did she always manage to draw him in, to weave her spell in such a way that he always forgot his objections, his apprehensions, his worries, even his morals. She could not be good for him… but then why was it such bliss to lie here beside her, listen to her warm voice, and let himself be carried away by her caresses.

She trailed her nails over the skin of his stomach and he shivered.  
'I love it when you're rough…' Her voice was a wicked whisper in his ear now.  
Then, her touch became light as a feather as she moved her hand further down.  
'And I love it when you're slow…'  
He swallowed hard as his body tensed in anticipation.  
'I love that you're such a gentleman, Jack, but I also love that you're a _man_.'  
His breath caught in his throat as she wrapped her fingers around him.  
'There's nothing quite so divine,' she whispered seductively as she slowly started to caress him, 'as feeling your body on mine.' His breathing quickened as he closed his eyes and surrendered. 'When I feel you inside me, it's…' words failed her now, and she just sighed with a small moan as she pushed her hips against him.

It was too much, he couldn't resist anymore. He suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her roughly back into the pillows, rolling on top so he could look down at her. She bit her lip and smiled up at him, her eyes bright with excitement as she opened her legs for him.  
He reached one hand down between her thighs to guide himself to her opening, waited for just a moment, then forcefully pushed inside, drawing a cry from her lips as she raised her hips to meet him. His eyes were dark and fierce, and he kept them firmly locked on hers as he demanded huskily: 'Like this?'  
'Yes,' she answered, her voice barely a whisper, 'Yes, just like that. Now don't stop.'  
But he was firmly in control now, and withdrew agonizingly slowly, making her squirm underneath him.  
When he finally entered again, she moaned and closed her eyes.  
'No', he commanded. 'Look at me.'  
She opened her eyes to look up at him as he took her deeply, deliberately, stroke by stroke by stroke. He didn't waver for a moment, keeping a steady rhythm that was so slow she could hardly bear it. She moaned hungrily and lifted her hips, but he would not be rushed, refused to go faster even when she begged him, keeping her on the edge between frustration and ecstasy until she felt like screaming.  
Finally he stopped, and before she had time to complain, he put his mouth close to her ear and growled: 'On your knees.'  
She obeyed him immediately, hungry for release, and was rewarded when he gripped her hips and thrust in hard, finally letting himself go, increasing the rhythm as he abandoned his restraint. She moaned in satisfaction, and he slipped one arm around her waist to caress her. He had teased her for too long; the moment his fingers touched her, she felt herself go to pieces. She arched her back and cried out as the orgasm rocked her body, and through the rushing in her ears, she heard him cry out too as he gripped her tighter. A moment later, they collapsed together on the bed, completely out of breath.

She immediately turned and punched him on the chest.  
'Damn you, Jack Robinson', she grumbled, but he grinned and took her in his arms, even though she pretended to protest.  
'Violence is never the answer, Miss Fisher', he teased her, and she noticed that he seemed very pleased with himself.  
'You completely deserved it', she huffed, but inwardly she smiled.  
'Yes, I suppose I did', he answered lazily, stretching comfortably on the bed.

They rested quietly for a while, and Jack started to doze off slightly with the happy feeling that he had the upper hand for once. Phryne contemplated that he was looking much too smug, and couldn't resist the temptation to discomfit him one last time.  
'Jack?' she whispered.  
'Hmm?'  
'Remember what we were talking about earlier?'  
He opened one eye to look at her darkly. 'Vividly.'  
'Well…' she drawled, 'there's another possibility, you know.'  
He knew he shouldn't ask. He asked anyway. 'Another possibility?'  
'Wouldn't you like the idea of having two women in bed with you?' she suggested seductively.  
His eyes flew open in alarm. 'Look, Phryne, I really like Mac, but…'  
She burst out laughing. 'No darling, not Mac! She'd never go for it. Just… someone else. Think about it.'  
He did. The tempting images her words had evoked earlier returned to his mind. Then he looked down into the sparkling eyes of his favorite lady detective and one corner of his mouth turned down in a half-smile as he snorted and pulled her closer.  
'No, thank you. You're quite enough trouble on your own.'  
She smiled in satisfaction and bit his earlobe to prove it.


	12. Chapter 12

_Author's note: it took me a while to write this, so a slightly longer chapter to make up for that. I'm still open to suggestions for future chapters, by the way._

_A big thank you to LemmingDancer for giving this one a read-through!_

_Enjoy! And please review :-)_

* * *

They were having, yet again, a rerun of a conversation that was becoming increasingly familiar to Jack. Once again, Miss Fisher was trying to convince him to do something he didn't feel like doing at all, using her considerable powers of persuasion in the process, and he was trying to stand his ground, deflecting her charms and arguments by adopting a grumpy attitude he hoped would scare her off. It never did. She always got her way. But not this time, he swore. _So here we go again._

'No.'  
'Come on, Jack.'  
'No.'  
'Please?'  
'Still very much no.'  
'It'll be fun!'  
'That's what you say every time: about the beach, about your aunt's dinner party,…'  
'Well, and didn't you end up having a good time on both occasions?' she replied with a meaningful look, running her hand over his chest. He ignored it.  
'Only after suffering through considerable discomfort on my part.'  
'And wasn't it worth it?' she asked, looking up from beneath her eyelashes and moving tantalizingly close to him. He tried to ignore that, too.  
'It won't be this time.'  
She pouted. 'Please?'  
'Miss Fisher, you can try all you want, I am _not_ taking you to a jazz club!'

They were standing in the hallway, arguing with muted voices so the rest of the household wouldn't hear.  
She rolled her eyes, and decided it was time to use her strongest argument. 'But you _know _our suspect has been spotted there several times. If we could go and blend into the crowd, it would be the perfect opportunity to observe him and see who his associates are without attracting any attention to ourselves.'  
He said in an exasperated voice: 'I see absolutely no possibility of me 'blending in' without attracting any attention. Anyone can see I don't belong in a jazz club. I could just as well walk in with 'policeman' written on my forehead.'  
She stroked his arm. 'You just need to relax a little… enjoy the atmosphere…'  
He snorted. 'Somehow, I don't see that happening. No. You can go by yourself if you really have to.'  
She raised an eyebrow. 'Says the man who berated me only weeks ago for behaving irresponsibly when it comes to interacting too closely with possibly dangerous suspects. And now you'd really send me out on my own to investigate this man?'  
He grumbled something inaudible. Of course he wouldn't let her go alone, he just didn't want to go at all. A jazz club, of all places. He didn't think he could imagine any situation where he would feel more out of place.  
She was watching him closely. 'How else do you suggest we track the suspect, Jack? You know this is our best shot.'  
He looked at her darkly, in the knowledge that she was right. 'I'm doing this under protest.'  
'And you've made that abundantly clear', she replied with an amused smile. 'But sometimes you have to make sacrifices in this line of work, Inspector. Even if that involves…' she lowered her voice to a stage whisper, '… going out and having fun.'  
He grumbled, his resistance crumbling now the battle was lost anyway. 'Fine.'  
She flashed him a bright smile, and he sighed inwardly. At least _she _was happy. 'Fabulous! There's a wonderful band playing tonight, and some friends of mine will be there to see it.'

She took a step backwards and gave him a scrutinizing look from head to toe that caused him to frown.  
'What?' he asked defensively.  
'You'll have to go home and change, darling. Wear something… dashing.'  
He stared at her. 'I don't _have_ anything 'dashing'.'  
But she pushed him out the door without further ado. 'At least don't show up wearing one of your three-piece police suits. That would completely blow our cover.'  
'Then what _should_ I wear?' he asked exasperatedly as he started to descend the steps.  
'You know… something casual.'  
'Shall I just show up in my shirt sleeves, then?' he asked, using his most sarcastic tone. She completely ignored it.  
'No, I don't think so. Just wear a casual suit.'  
'A _casual suit? _ What is… never mind, I'll figure something out.' He turned and walked away down the path to the front gate, muttering under his breath.  
She looked after him, a smile playing on her lips. Oh, this would definitely be fun.

That evening, he showed up wearing a quite suitable outfit: he was dressed tastefully, yet not too formally. 'Perfect!' she cried when she opened the door to him. He just nodded, feeling there was no need to tell her that he had visited his tailor that afternoon and had simply allowed the man to dress him.  
He looked at her, and couldn't help but admit that she looked very alluring. Jewels sparkled in her hair and her ears, and her dress was black and very modern, but he liked her in it. When he told her she looked lovely, she beamed at him, and he felt his grumpiness disappear, feeling slightly ashamed of himself. After all, she had willingly become a part of his world at the station, even though it did not come natural to her. So it was only fair that he should allow her to give him a taste of _her _world now. She was asking him to share one night with her at a place and amongst people that she really liked. He should at least give it a chance. He offered her his arm. 'Well then, let's go', he said, smiling his crooked smile. He grabbed the keys to the Hispano from the hall table. 'But I'm driving.'

A short drive later, they arrived at The Hopper, one of Melbourne's hottest jazz clubs. The moment they entered, Jack realized that, in spite of his good intentions, he didn't stand a chance. It was very warm inside, the music was loud, and the club was full of people like Phryne, enjoying themselves with reckless abandon. Catching sight of his expression, she turned to him with a warning look on her face. 'Don't you dare arrest anyone tonight! Remember that we're just here as guests.'  
He reluctantly growled his consent, his eyes already scanning the packed room. After a few moments, he turned to Phryne. 'He's not here. The suspect. Let's leave.'  
But she wouldn't hear of it. 'Come on Jack, we only just got here! He might still arrive later tonight. And besides…' she waved at a group of people standing at the far end of the dance floor. 'My friends are over there. I can hardly walk away now without saying hello.'

So she gripped him by the elbow and dragged him across the room, where she was met by a chorus of enthusiastic greetings: 'Phryne! It's been too long!' She was immediately surrounded by her friends, hugging the women and kissing the men on the cheek. Finally, she disengaged herself to introduce them to Jack.  
'Jack, these are my very good friends Will and Ida…' she indicated the couple on the left, '… and John and Isabelle. They've only just returned from Paris. Everyone, this is Jack, my… partner.'  
Suddenly, Jack was engulfed in a cloud of feathers and perfume as the two women swooped down on him to kiss him twice on each cheek. He stiffened in consternation, completely flustered, and saw Phryne stifle a smile. Then, he had his hand wrung enthusiastically by the two men. While he was greeting them, Jack could not help but overhear what the two women were saying to Phryne.  
'… little surprised to hear you say he's your partner. We didn't think… after René…'  
Phryne threw Jack a fond look. 'Jack is different,' he heard her say. 'With him, I feel…' But he couldn't hear the rest as Will and John clapped him on the shoulder and pushed a drink into his hands, engaging him in conversation. He soon noticed that they were both intelligent, well-travelled men, and really quite pleasant company. He thought he recognized some of Phryne's free spirit in them.

After a while, John excused himself, saying that this was a particularly good song. He swept his wife off to the dance floor, and they started to dance in a way that seemed very wild and altogether unnecessarily provocative to Jack. He turned away from the dance floor, only to find Phryne beside him, eyes shining bright, hips swaying slightly to the music. 'Oh, isn't the band just _marvelous_, Jack?' she asked him happily. 'Let's go dance!'  
He backed away slightly in alarm. 'Phryne… I don't dance.' He thought she knew that. Sure, he knew his waltzes, but he had no idea how to dance to jazz music, and he had no desire to make a fool of himself.  
She tried her most seductive look on him. 'Come on, Jack. It's not hard, I'll teach you.'  
'No,' he said firmly. 'I _absolutely_ don't dance.'  
At that point, he was rescued by Will, who suddenly appeared at Phryne's side. 'Ida's not up to dancing tonight, she says. Will you please do me the honor, Phryne?' She took one look at the clear expression of relief on Jack's face, before shrugging unconcernedly, taking Will's hand, and disappearing with him onto the dance floor.

Ida had found another friend, and they were chatting together merrily, leaving Jack free to scan the room again. There was still no trace of their suspect. So he stood, waiting, tapping his foot slightly, deciding that he might learn to enjoy jazz music after all. Suddenly he realized that Ida had excused herself to visit the powder room, and Ida's friend was now standing very close to him, looking up at him with visible interest. He blinked.  
'Hello,' she introduced herself, holding out her hand. 'My name is Kate. I'm a friend of Phryne's, too.' He shook her hand, noticing that she was very pretty, with short blond hair and hazel eyes. When she held his hand a just a little too long, he decided he'd better make things clear.  
'Pleasure to meet you, Kate. I'm Jack, Phryne's partner.' He put a slight emphasis on the last word, but that didn't seem to deter her at all. On the contrary: she moved even closer and put her hand on his arm.  
'I know', she said brightly, 'Ida just told me. I'm very glad she's found someone, you know.' She softly stroked his sleeve, looking up into his eyes with an openly flirtatious expression he had only ever seen on Phryne. 'And I must say: she has great taste in men.'  
He was feeling very uncomfortable by now, and tried to edge away from the young woman, but the crowd was too dense. He looked out over the dance floor, and caught Phryne's eye, signaling his distress. She merely raised her eyebrow at him, indicating that she didn't understand what was bothering him. On closer inspection, he decided that, actually, she was dancing quite a bit too close to Will, and he felt a sudden stab of jealousy that surprised him. He usually wasn't a jealous person, but that did not include idly standing by as his love wrapped her arms around another man. In an attempt both to get away from Kate, and to get Phryne away from Will, he quickly excused himself, and ventured out onto the dance floor.

'Can I cut in?' he asked politely as he reached the dancing couple. Will smiled and bowed, graciously handing Phryne over to him.  
'Jack!' she exclaimed in delighted surprise. 'Decided to come and have a good time after all?'  
'Something like that', he muttered vaguely, throwing a furtive look over his shoulder at Kate, who was now talking to Will. Phryne followed his gaze, and smiled at him mischievously. 'Well, Jack, it looks like Kate has taken a liking to you, wouldn't you say?'  
He immediately felt himself go red. 'I haven't…' he blustered, not knowing how to apologize. 'I didn't… _encourage_ her.'  
She gave a tinkling laugh and put a reassuring hand on his arm. 'Don't worry, darling, that's not what I meant. I'm not jealous, she knows you're with me. She just doesn't think there's anything wrong with showing you that she thinks you're an attractive man.'  
He tried to grasp the notion. 'But… to what purpose?'  
She leaned in very close to him, and whispered tantalizingly into his ear: 'Well… I'm quite sure she could be persuaded to come home with us.'  
He pulled back, alarmed. 'I don't… we can't… no, we've discussed this', he stammered. His head was reeling. He felt that he was experiencing something of a culture shock, suddenly encountering so many people whose view of the world and its morals corresponded to Phryne's instead of his own, which he had always held to be the generally accepted one.  
Phryne glanced at Kate over her shoulder. 'She's very pretty, you know', she stated casually.  
Jack looked at the blond girl. It was true, she _was_ very pretty. And young, and bright, and alluring, and _so very much not Phryne_. He turned back to tell her that, only to see that she was laughing, and he realized that she had been teasing him, and had known his answer in advance. He smiled down at her tenderly, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. 'You know I only want you', he whispered huskily.  
She surprised him by wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him full on the lips.  
He was a little flustered when she let go of him, looking around furtively to see if anyone had noticed, then he realized that all around them there were couples in various romantic embraces, and nobody cared. He just couldn't wrap his head around how strange things suddenly were. It was like he had stepped into a different world.

His attention was drawn back to Phryne when she suddenly moved to stand very close to him, the front of their bodies touching almost full-length.  
'Time to dance, Inspector', she reminded him. 'We can't just stand here.' She put her hand on his shoulder, placed one of his hands on her hip, and started to move to the music. He felt extraordinarily out of place, unable to let go and relax the way the other dancers did. However, when Phryne turned and leaned back against him, draping one arm backwards around his neck, he forgot his embarrassment for a moment to marvel at the way her supple body moved to the music. He couldn't resist running his hands down her sides, over her hips, and when she pressed her hips to him, he felt a stab of excitement that turned his mind to other matters entirely. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close so he could whisper in her ear. 'Let me take you home.'  
She turned her head to look at him, saw the promise in his eyes, and started to agree. 'Yes, I think that might be a good…' she stopped suddenly, staring at a point a little beyond him. 'Jack,' she whispered urgently. 'That's him, that's our suspect.'  
And indeed, there he was, just entering the club: a slick gentleman with oily dark hair and a garishly striped suit. Jack sighed and released Phryne, inwardly cursing the man's bad timing. Now there was nothing for it but to wait and see, and take note of what he did and whom he socialized with. Together, they moved back through the crowd to Phryne's group of friends, where they would have a good overview of the room. Though they joined in the conversation, Jack and Phryne took turns to keep an eye on their suspect. In the meantime, Will and John kept pressing drinks into Jack's hand, throwing back their own drinks with such ease that he had a hard time trying to keep up. Though he was usually quite capable of holding his liquor, he gradually felt himself become pleasantly tipsy. Phryne kept throwing amused glances his way, and he noticed that she wasn't drinking much herself.

* * *

Several hours and many drinks later, their suspect left without doing anything particularly noteworthy. Well, Phryne reflected, at least they now knew who some of his associates were, so the evening hadn't been a complete waste of time. She turned and contemplated the task that now lay before her: getting Jack home. He was trying not to show it, but she knew him too well not to see that he was drunker than he wanted to be. They said goodbye to their friends, promising to meet them again soon, and left the club for the quiet and the cooler air outside. When they reached the car, Jack leaned against it slightly to steady himself, and she observed him with an amused smile. 'Well, looks like I'll be driving', she said lightly as she fished the car keys out of his pocket. He rubbed a hand over his eyes. 'Yes, I think that would be best. Those friends of yours… they can drink.'

One very brisk car ride later, though, Jack seemed to have sobered up a little, no doubt thanks to the fresh air, and not due to shock brought on by her driving skills. He merely seemed very relaxed now. When they walked up to the front door, he put his arm around her waist and admitted: 'Actually, I almost had a good time tonight.'  
She snorted. 'Of course you did, your brain is practically marinated in alcohol.'  
'Not the point', he replied with as much dignity as he could muster. 'Your friends are nice.'  
That surprised her, but she was pleased nonetheless. I'll make a bohemian of him yet, she amused herself by thinking, though she knew full well that his newfound carefree attitude would disappear together with the effects of the alcohol.  
When they reached the front door and she felt around in her purse for the key, he wrapped both arms around her and started nuzzling her neck. She felt his mood change, and couldn't help but feel her own body respond. She smiled, deciding that she quite liked him when he was a little drunk. But when he cupped a breast through the fabric of her dress, she gasped in surprise, and laughingly pushed his hand away.  
'Jack! I'll never find the key if you distract me like that,' she smiled.  
'Who cares about keys', he rumbled, as he turned her around and pushed her against the door to kiss her. She immediately wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back, her desire for him washing over her. But when he started kissing her throat, she realized with a jolt of surprise that _she _would have to be the voice of reason tonight, if she wanted to avoid a scandal in the neighborhood.  
So she stroked his hair and whispered: 'Well, the sooner I find the key, the sooner we'll be _inside._'  
There was no arguing with her logic, so he reluctantly stepped back and allowed her to open the door.

It was dark and quiet in the house: the household had long gone to bed. Jack took one look at the challenge the stairs posed, and seemed to decide that the prospect of climbing them was far too daunting at the moment. Instead, he took Phryne by the hand and pulled her into the parlor, closing the door behind them. It was completely dark inside – Phryne felt around for the light switch, but before she was able to locate it, two strong arms encircled her from behind, and a deep voice whispered in her ear: 'Don't bother with the lights.' He kissed her neck and shoulder, and as she leaned back against him, she decided he was right: there were more important things to attend to. When she turned and kissed him, he lifted her off the floor in his enthusiasm.

Wrapped around each other, they managed to get to the love seat. Not being able to see definitely added to the fun, Phryne decided. Though she usually liked the lights on so she could admire and be admired, the darkness presented something of a challenge, and she loved to be challenged. Their hands wandered blindly, searching for knots to undo, buttons to open, garments to discard. Phryne felt Jack's body pressed close to hers, until suddenly… he was gone.  
'Jack?'  
She heard a bump and a muttered curse coming from the direction of the floor.  
'Are you alright?' she asked, trying hard not to laugh. 'What happened?'  
'I fell off', he stated drily. 'Damn slippery furniture of yours.'  
She couldn't help but laugh now. She heard him try to get up. 'No, wait, there's not enough room anyway. I'll join you down there.' She threw some pillows down in the direction of his voice, and judging by his indignant exclamations, they were right on target. She slipped off the love seat to the floor with a smile.  
Feeling around, her hands encountered only velvet and silk.  
'Where are you?' she asked, settling into the nest of pillows. It really was pitch black in the parlor, and she was a little disoriented for a moment. Then, she felt his fingers find her arm, and she lay still as he carefully trailed them upwards over her shoulder, until he could place his hand on her cheek.  
'There you are', he whispered softly.  
She smiled a smile he couldn't see. 'Yes, here I am.'  
Ever so gently, he let his fingers explore her face, until he found her lips. She moved closer to him as he kissed her.

It was a new way of experiencing things, with new sensations and delights. This was a new world of carefully touching, feeling their way, letting their hands and lips discover the things they couldn't see. Jack was amazed at how well they had come to know each other's bodies in the last few months; his hands seemed to find their way effortlessly over her smooth skin. He was very much aware of every sound she made that could indicate delight or displeasure, aware of the smell of her perfume, and especially aware of how he was touching her, using his fingers thoughtfully, thoroughly, so she was soon gasping in his arms. Not being able to look into each other's eyes, they sought to make contact in other ways, caressing, kissing, touching. When she opened herself to him, her hand found his cheek, and he held her gently as her sighs filled the darkness around them.

* * *

Light filtered dimly through the heavy curtains. Jack awoke to a dull pounding in his head that was somewhat mitigated by the feeling of being enveloped in extraordinary warmth and softness. He pulled Phryne a little closer and prepared to sink back into blissful oblivion, but slowly came to the realization that something felt… off. He carefully opened one eye and frowned.  
'Umm… Phryne?' he whispered uncertainly.  
'Mmm?'  
'Why are we lying in a pile of pillows on your parlor floor?'  
At that, she turned languidly so they were face to face, then opened her eyes with a sleepy but satisfied smile. 'Don't you remember last night?'  
Not as well as I'd like to, he thought. He suddenly remembered a lot of whiskey, and felt himself redden. 'Oh God, what did I do?'  
She snuggled close to his chest, definitely amused. 'Nothing, darling. You were perfectly charming.'  
He winced. 'How drunk was I?'  
She smiled teasingly. 'Drunk enough not to be able to climb the stairs, but not so drunk that you were unable to do… other things.'  
Yes, that definitely brought back some memories. For some reason, his brain refused to provide visual information, but his tactile memory seemed more accommodating: he suddenly remembered kisses and caresses, and he allowed himself to sink back into the pillows, feeling pleased with himself. He closed his eyes; maybe a few more hours of sleep would clear the last of the fog in his head.  
'Jack?'  
'Mmm?'  
'It's morning.'  
'Great. Then there's still plenty of time to sleep until noon.'  
She chuckled softly. 'That's not my point.'  
'Then what is your point?'  
'Maybe we should get up.'  
He opened one eye to look at her in amazement. 'I never thought I'd hear you say _that_, Miss Fisher.'  
She continued casually. 'Well, we can stay here, of course, if you don't mind traumatizing Dot when she walks in here in a moment to open the curtains.'  
That woke him up properly: he raised his eyebrows in alarm and quickly pushed himself off the pillows. 'Now you mention it, getting up seems like an excellent idea.'  
She grinned up at him. 'I thought it might. But we can always move up to the bedroom if you'd like some more sleep.'  
'Sounds like a good plan', he said absentmindedly, gathering up his clothes and throwing pillows back into their respective chairs. They pulled on enough clothes to appear at least halfway decent should they encounter someone in the hallway, but everyone still seemed to be sleeping.  
When they reached the safety of the bedroom, they both tumbled into bed. The silk sheets were cool to the touch, and Phryne wriggled close to Jack, her back pressed into the warmth of his body. He encircled her in his arms.  
'_Now_ you can sleep until noon', she said, as she nestled a little closer.  
But Jack suddenly realized that he was no longer very interested in sleeping. He only had to move his hand slightly to softly stroke her breast. When he felt her nipple harden and heard her breath catch, he smiled to himself.  
'You know, Miss Fisher', he whispered softly in her ear. 'I'm sure I can think of many other things we could do until noon.'  
'Oh really, Inspector?' she purred, and turned with a sensuous smile to wrap her arms around him. 'Enlighten me.'


	13. Chapter 13

_Author's note: at the request of at least three reviewers :)_

_Enjoy, and please review!_

* * *

So this was how he was going to die.

Detective Inspector Jack Robinson felt himself go pale, eyes wide with terror as he held on for dear life. He felt a sudden stab of panic. 'Phryne!' he called out through gritted teeth, but the noise and the rushing of the wind drowned out his voice. He swallowed with difficulty, then tried again.  
'Phryne!'  
No reaction. He gathered all his strength.  
'Miss Fisher!' he bellowed. '_Slow down_!'

Phryne turned her head, mildly surprised, to look at Jack, who was sitting in the passenger seat of the Hispano with one hand on his hat, the other tightly gripping the door of the car. He seemed a bit distressed. 'What's the matter?' she asked him, slightly concerned.  
'Slow down!' he said again, not taking his eyes off the road.  
She laughed. 'But this is the perfect road, Jack! It's straight, it's flat, and it runs through the middle of nowhere. Ideal circumstances!'  
'Your ideal circumstances are going to get us killed!' he growled at her. Having only ever driven with her through Melbourne (and that was bad enough), Jack had received a nasty shock five minutes earlier when they had turned onto the intercity road and Phryne had suddenly stepped on the gas, causing the car to accelerate at an alarming rate. Soon, Jack was feeling slightly sick. He had had no idea that a car could go this fast. As he watched the scenery flash by in a brown-and-green blur, all he could think about was what would happen if the car hit a bump in the road, or malfunctioned, or… He was reminded very vividly of the case of the female racecar driver, car smashed to bits against a tree.

Phryne, however, seemed perfectly unconcerned. She threw her head back, and laughed, clearly enjoying herself.  
'Isn't this _thrilling_, Jack! Doesn't it make you feel alive?'  
'Yes, and I'd very much like to stay that way!' he shouted, steeling himself. This was not going to be pleasant, but he felt he had no choice. 'Stop the car!'  
She turned her head to look at him in disbelief. 'What?'  
'Eyes on the road!' he groaned. 'Phryne, stop the car.'  
'Why?'  
'Because I'm not tired of living yet. I'm taking over.'  
'But Jack!' she exclaimed indignantly.  
'Miss Fisher', he said, using his sternest voice and praying silently that that would work, 'if you don't stop the car _right now_, I will arrest you for irresponsible driving!'  
She looked at him, amused. 'You'll arrest me?'  
'Yes', he said, trying to sound convincing.  
She looked at him silently for a moment, before asking, in a much gentler voice: 'You're really scared, aren't you?'  
'That's completely beside the point', he said, with as much dignity as he could muster, given the circumstances. 'You are breaking the law.'  
She was quiet again, looking ahead pensively, and he feared that she would ignore him as usual. Then, to his immense relief, she released the accelerator and the car slowed down until she could safely steer it off the road to park it there.  
'Fine', she said huffily. 'But don't think you've intimidated me into anything. I'm only doing this for you.'  
Whatever the reason, he thought, he was simply grateful that it had worked. He got out of the car the moment they were at a standstill, and felt a strong urge to kiss the solid ground beneath his feet. Resisting the impulse, he walked around the car to open her door for her. She hesitated a moment longer before getting out.  
'I'm doing this under protest', she warned him.  
'Noted', he said drily as handed her out of the car.  
'And don't think I'll just let this pass. You can't just take over a woman's car, Inspector. There are consequences.'  
'Oh really?' he asked, amused. 'Like what?'  
'Well…' she thought for a moment, before raising a supercilious eyebrow. 'Maybe you should sleep in the guest room tonight.'  
His face broke into a grin. 'Don't kid yourself, Miss Fisher. We both know you can't keep your hands off me.'  
That made her laugh delightedly. 'Only too true, Inspector', she smiled as she kissed him on the cheek. Without further protest, she walked around the car to the passenger's seat. Her sudden surrender made him wonder if she didn't have some other kind of mischief in mind. He probably should keep an eye on her.

Half an hour later, Jack felt calm and composed again, safely behind the wheel of the Hispano, driving along at exactly the speed limit. Phryne seemed cheerful enough sitting beside him, talking lightly about the color of the clouds and the possibility that it might rain later, so after a while he let his guard down and relaxed. As they drove on, Phryne fell silent, and Jack's thoughts soon drifted to the case they were working on, and the suspect they were driving up to see. He hoped it wouldn't be too hard to find the man, and that he would be cooperative when they did. After all, he was their best lead. He didn't quite know where to look if it turned out that… His train of thought was brusquely interrupted when he felt a hand on his arm, moving upwards over his shoulder to softly stroke the back of his neck.  
'What are you doing?' he asked, firmly keeping his eyes on the road.  
She shrugged innocently. 'I just… thought you might need to relax a little.' She was now running her other hand over his chest.  
'I'm driving, Miss Fisher. Don't distract me.'  
'But I'm bored', she sighed theatrically. 'It's very tedious just sitting here.'  
He pushed her hand away, which prompted her to tease: 'Shouldn't you keep both hands on the wheel, Inspector?'  
Meanwhile, her fingers were still delicately stroking the back of his neck, sending delicious shivers down his spine. He shook himself mentally: he should not be enjoying this.  
'Keep your hands to yourself, Miss Fisher', he grumbled warningly.  
She grinned. 'But you just said it yourself, Inspector: I simply can't keep my hands off you.'  
He raised an eyebrow in a resigned kind of way. So that's what this was: he was getting his comeuppance for taking over the wheel, and she was using the best weapons in her possession to tease him to distraction, seeing how long he would hold. This was going to be tough. He groaned inwardly as her hand landed lightly on his knee, feeling that it was not a fair fight. Nevertheless, he was determined that he would not allow himself to be distracted, he was not going to give her the satisfaction of seeing him lose his composure. As her hand slowly started moving along his thigh, he mentally steeled himself.

Phryne smiled inwardly, observing her Inspector closely out of the corner of her eye. This was her favorite game to play. She could clearly see that he was getting ready for a battle of wills, and she was delighted. She moved slowly now, patiently, like a cat stalking its prey. If she was too bold now, he would get annoyed and that would ruin the game. So she had to keep him carefully balanced on that thin line between amusement and exasperation that was so typically Jack. Luckily, she was something of an expert in keeping him both amused and exasperated. Her fingers moved deftly, lightly, tracing the line of his jaw, then moving down to run just underneath the edge of his collar. She knew him so well. The way the corner of his mouth turned down ever so slightly told her that he liked what she was doing. She moved her other hand a little higher on his thigh, but the merest trace of a frown made her stop. Too soon.

She leaned in slightly, knowing all too well the effect her physical nearness had on him. Yes: she saw his body shift subtly, and read both discomfort and longing there. She smiled. Oh, how she loved this game. How she loved the long, careful process of drawing him out by teasing him, softly cajoling, sweetly seducing, until suddenly he would crack, and the gruff exterior of the Detective Inspector would melt away and her Jack would emerge, laughing and playful, tender and loving. It was a transformation that surprised and delighted her every time again. But it took time. Especially in a situation like this, when he was determined to resist. But she knew that would only make her reward all the sweeter when she finally succeeded. She leaned in closer to kiss, ever so carefully, a spot underneath his ear, and she smiled when she heard him sigh. Almost.

Jack had a hard time keeping his thoughts on the road. He could tell himself all he wanted that he was immune to her charms, but his body told a different story. He had to admire her subtlety this time: it was exactly because she held back that he wanted more. In fact, he was starting to suspect that she could read him like a book. He closed his eyes for just a second to enjoy the feeling of her hand running over his chest and stomach. She was too close; the smell of her perfume was clouding his mind, and the soft touch of her fingers awoke an aching hunger in him. He wanted her. He tried to resist just a moment longer, but when she bit his earlobe and he nearly crashed the car, he had to admit defeat. He braked sharply, steering the car off the road to park under a small clump of trees. The moment they stood still, he looked at her sideways, noting the glint in her eye.  
'Phryne', he said, shaking his head. 'You'll be the death of me.' But he pulled her closer and kissed her, and she wrapped her arms around him to kiss him back enthusiastically.

The fact that he could hold her for a while, feel her warmth and taste her lips, had him momentarily satisfied. The game was over, he felt: she had won (had he expected anything else?) and he was ready to continue their journey. He threw a concerned look at the sky: dark clouds were gathering above them, and he decided that they better move on. It was only when she leaned in for another kiss and ran her hand down his stomach, over the buckle of his belt, that it dawned on him that she might have other plans.  
He pulled back apprehensively. 'Umm… what do you think you're doing?'  
The question answered itself when she moved her hand further down and started stroking him through the fabric of his pants. He tensed, and gasped as a stab of excitement shot through him. But when she started to undo his belt, he gathered all his willpower and stopped her hand.  
'Public road, Miss Fisher', he reminded her, voice a little husky.  
'_Deserted_ road, Inspector', she corrected him, eyes sparkling. She leaned in against his chest, lips tantalizingly close to his, and he almost gave in when suddenly, he saw it. From the opposite direction, a car was approaching them. It was still far away, but it was quickly coming nearer. He was instantly alert again, grabbing Phryne by the shoulders and firmly pushing her back into her own seat. She looked confused for a moment, then spotted the car and uttered an 'oh!' of understanding. They tried to act normal, waiting for the car to pass them, only… it didn't. When it was almost level with them, they saw it slow down and stop. When a man in uniform got out of the vehicle, Jack rolled his eyes and sighed. That was just his luck. Phryne broke into a fit of suppressed laughter.  
'Compose yourself, Miss Fisher', Jack rumbled sternly from the side of his mouth. 'And let me handle this, please.'

The policeman reached their car and glanced over the two of them with a wary eye. He was a middle-aged man with dark hair that was graying at the temples and a belly that was straining the buttons of his uniform. Unfortunately, he did not look like he had much of a sense of humor.  
'Good afternoon', he greeted them in a professionally neutral tone. 'Having car trouble? Not a great time; looks like there's a storm coming.'  
'Good afternoon Sergeant', Phryne replied, flashing the man a dazzling smile that clearly deepened his suspicions. Jack threw her a warning look before turning to the man with his best deadpan expression.  
'No, Sergeant, no car trouble. We were merely… discussing directions.' He immediately realized how ridiculous that explanation was when he remembered that there was nothing but a long, straight stretch of road both in front and behind them, and he saw Phryne cover her mouth with her hand and shake with silent laughter. The police officer frowned up and down the road and seemed to come to the same conclusion. He looked back at them, eyes narrowed suspiciously.  
'You do realize this is a public road, sir?'  
'I'm perfectly aware of the fact, thank you, Sergeant', Jack replied firmly. 'We'll be on our way shortly.'  
The man did not seem inclined to trust them, and assumed a warning tone. 'If there's any trouble here…'  
At that point, Jack flashed his police badge, looking the man straight in the face and saying in his most authoritative manner: 'I'm sure I'll be able to handle it.'  
That took the sergeant by surprise, and he backed off immediately.  
'Meaning no offense, sir. Have a safe journey, sir.' He tipped his cap to Phryne and retreated back to his own car. A moment later, he was gone.

'Well handled, Jack', Phryne said admiringly, turning to watch the police car drive off. Jack couldn't help but smile a little.  
'Oh, well', he replied. 'After all, we hadn't done anything wrong.'  
'Yet', Phryne finished his sentence, that mischievous glint back in her eye as she leaned over to kiss his neck, hands snaking back to places they weren't supposed to be.  
He pushed her away in disbelief. 'Seriously, Miss Fisher? We were almost caught by a policeman!'  
She looked up at him in amusement. 'Which makes it highly unlikely that _another_ policeman will pass by here in the next half hour or so.'  
'But…' he started to protest, but was silenced by a great rumble coming from the clouds above them. They looked at each other in alarm.  
'Quick, Jack!' Phryne called, hurriedly getting out of the car. 'Help me get the hood up.'  
Together they struggled with the hood of the car, folding it open to form a roof as the first fat drops of rain fell from the sky. They got back into the car just in time, panting slightly as they watched how the heavens opened and the rain suddenly poured down in a solid sheet.  
'That was close', Phryne said. 'Almost ruined my upholstery.'

They sat together silently for a moment, watching the rain reduce visibility to less than five feet.  
'Better stay here for a while', Jack noted. 'We can't drive in this weather.'  
He leaned over to pull Phryne close and rumbled: 'However shall we pass the time, Miss Fisher?'  
She looked at him in surprised delight. 'Really Jack? Even with the public road and everything?'  
'No one in their right mind will be driving through this rain. Better take advantage of the situation.'  
'I couldn't agree with you more', she smiled, kissing him.  
The sense of sitting there together in the small, dry cocoon of the car while the rain pounded on the roof created an atmosphere of intimacy that was increased when the windows started fogging up from their body heat. The curtain of water that surrounded them made them feel completely isolated from the rest of the world. He kissed her softly, longingly, then got annoyed that he was hindered by the distance between their two seats. He glanced over his shoulder.  
'Back seat?' he suggested uncertainly.  
She shook her head. 'There's not enough room, we'll never be comfortable.'  
Instead, she pushed him back into his seat and kissed him, hands running down his body to undo his belt and pants buttons. He groaned slightly when she drew him out and softly stroked him, but when she bent over, he suddenly realized what she was about to do, and his body tensed. She stopped, looked up at him questioningly. He very rarely allowed her to do this, still not entirely comfortable with the concept, still feeling that it was, just a little, wrong. He usually stopped her at this point. Today, a short but fierce battle raged in his mind as he looked into her eyes. She was waiting patiently for him to decide, but when she softly bit her lip, he couldn't resist. He closed his eyes and leaned back with a sigh.

When her warm mouth closed around him, he gasped and gripped the wheel of the car convulsively. Once he allowed himself to surrender, the pleasure was absolute, and his world suddenly became very small as she did things he couldn't even begin to imagine, so unspeakably delicious, and everything else was firmly driven from his mind. He kept his eyes closed, letting the sensations wash over him. Soon, too soon, he felt the tension build, and knew that he would not be able to control it much longer. He softly touched her hair as he whispered her name. She looked up, understood, and did not insist. Instead, she lifted her skirt and, elegant even in such cramped quarters, she fluently managed to maneuver herself onto his lap, straddling him. There wasn't much room, and they both jumped when she accidentally pushed against the horn and it honked loudly. They both laughed, tension broken, and Jack hugged her close to kiss her, a smile on his lips. They were wedged closely together, but neither of them minded. Her mouth still on his, she lifted her hips slightly, then sank down on him with a moan in the back of her throat. He gripped her hips tightly to help her move, and they slowly rocked together in the close, steamy atmosphere of the car, with the rain still rushing all around them, drowning out the outside world.

* * *

The next thing he was aware of, was that the sound of the rain had stopped. He looked around a little dazedly. Yes, it was still drizzling slightly, but it would be possible to drive again. Other cars would soon be on the road. He gently nudged Phryne, who was slumped against his chest, still a little out of breath.  
'Time to move,' he said softly.  
'No, I don't think so', she replied, nestling her head on his shoulder. 'You're nice and warm.'  
He smiled. 'Yes, but it's stopped raining. This is a public road again.'  
She sighed and lifted her head to kiss him one last time, then disengaged herself and clambered back over to her own seat. She smoothed her skirt and patted her hair, then glanced over at Jack with a sweet look.  
'You look a little tired, darling. Maybe you would like me to drive the rest of the way?'  
He snorted. 'Not a chance, Miss Fisher.'  
'Fine', she smiled lazily, curling up like a cat in her seat, a look of utter contentment on her face.  
As he started the car and carefully maneuvered it back onto the wet road, she settled her head on his shoulder and sighed softly. After a while, the soft hum of the engine and the safe feeling of Jack next to her lulled her to sleep. Jack drove along silently, careful not to move and wake her. Every once in a while, he turned his head slightly to kiss the top of her head. A warm glow of happiness had settled in his chest, and a smile played on his lips. She really isn't so bad, he thought tenderly. You just have to know how to handle her. He was, of course, perfectly aware that _she_ was handling _him_ much better than the other way round, but he was prepared to overlook that fact. After all, she was worth the trouble.


End file.
